nine men's misery part 2 historical research - bucklin · pdf filefind many interesting...

of the second part of the book -the Historical Research

NINE MEN’SMISERY©

Victor Franko

Part Two: The Historical Research

Copyright 2003 Victor Franko. All rights reserved except for license to Leonard Bucklin andJoseph Bucklin Society.


PART 2

The Second half of this book is more reference than story. Eachsection of this half is chaptered by a question or a topic that is tied with theoverall Nine Men’s Misery event / story. Many questions about the site hadremained unanswered before I had began my research in the shortdocumentary that I produced in the fall / winter of 2001. With help frommany local historians and a great deal of luck, I was able to shed much lighton many of these unanswered challenges that has plagued its overall story.Questions including the identity of the 9 men, how the 9 men got to the“Camp Swamp” location, and who built the cairn were among the list.

Throughout the research, I came upon most if not all theoriginal documented sources and historical telling that I could find on theevent. From library to library, museums to historical societies, I managed tofind many interesting telling and retelling of the Nine Men’s Misery story.Also included in this chapter are articles, letters, and manuscripts ofprimary / secondary bits of information about the history.

Much that is written in this half of the book deals with thepassing of the “un-blamed buck” by past historians. (Note to reader: As I go through and begin to make changes in my firstdraft, I am reading along a correction letter that Father Laurence typed upfor me on his typewriter. It is here where he begins to worry about thelanguage I am using. ‘The un-blamed buck” scares him as he makes noteon the correction letter. He also makes note that his typewriting hisbeginning to malfunction…Even though he asks that I note use this kind oflanguage, I fell it is a must. I am not pointing blame at historians forgratification. I am pointing blame to make my point and to shed some light.I hope I do not offend, but instead, I hope to make promise with errors ofthe past.)

Much is taken from past sources and torn apart with greatpleasure. In this half, I point the finger of blame at every source foundwithin the pages of history. By doing so, I hope to show the reader thetruth. Not only in the recent corrections made, but in the myths that thestory told to create a much more fictional account than what you just readof what occurred over 326 years ago.

Overall, I hope to accomplish a collection of complete referenceson the history of the event. By doing so, I wish to create this source ofinformation to better help the researcher in learning about the entire NineMen’s Misery story.


THE (CORRENT / INCORRECT) NEWMAN LETTER TO JOSEPH COTTON

Once word was sent to Reverend Newman about the disaster ofPierce and his men, Newman waited no time to begin writing a letter toReverend Joseph Cotton of Plymouth. Cotton knew of Pierce’s departure intoRehoboth to fight the Narragansett. The letter written by Newman wasdated Rehoboth 27, 67, meaning it was written on March 27 1676, theth

next day, or the late night that followed the bloody Sabbath. The date holdsto be true, because Newman doesn’t mention the attack on Rehoboth thatoccurred the next day by the hands of the Indians. The note looked to havebeen sent that day or early the next. If not, Newman could and should havementioned the most recent attacks on Rehoboth. The letter could have alsostressed the fact of the ever more need for reinforcements.

A handful of the earliest records dated during the turn of the20 century mentioned the letter. Newman’s letter stands as a primaryth

source to some of the existence of the men who made up Pierce’s companyat his final fight. Others agree that Newman’s note to Cotton shows thedisaster of March 26, 1676 in Old Rehoboth and the continuing struggle todefeat the English by the Indians.

The following is the letter documented and edited 226 yearslater:

------------- State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at theEnd of the Century: A History

Edward Field A.B.1902

“Rehoboth 27, of the first ‘76”

“Reverend and dear Sir,

“I received yours dated the 20t of this instant wherein you gaveme a doleful relation of what had happened with you, and what adistressing Sabbath you had passed. I have now, according to the words ofyour own letter, an opportunity to retaliate your account with a relation ofwhat yesterday happened to the great saddening of our hearts, filling uswith an awful expectation of what further evils it may be antecedaneous to,both respecting ourselves and you. Upon the 25 of this instant, Capt.th

Pierce went forth with a small party of his men and Indians with him, andupon discovering the enemy fought him, without damage to himself, and


judged that he had considerably damnified them. Yet he, being of no greatforce, chose rather to retreat and go out the next morning with a recruit ofmen. And accordingly he did, taking pilots from us that were acquaintedwith the ground. But it pleased the Sovereign God so to order it, that theywere enclosed with a great multitude of the enemy, which hath slain fifty-two of our Englishmen, and eleven Indians. The account of their names isas follows:

From Scituate, eighteen, of whom fifteen were slain, viz.: Capt.Pierce, Samuel Russell, Benjamin Chittenden, John Lothrop, GershomDodson, Samuel Pratt, Thomas Savary, Joseph Wade, William Wilcome,Jeremiah Barstow, John Ensign, Joseph Cowen, Joseph Perry, John Rowse,(Rose). Marshfield, nine slain, Thomas Little, John Eams, Joseph White,John Burrows, JosephPhillips, Samuel Bump, John Low, More------, JohnBrawer. Duxbury, four slain, John Sprague, Benjamin Soal, Thomas Hunt,Joshua Forbes. Sandwich, five slain, Benjamin Nye, Daniel Bessey, CalebBlake, Job Gibbs, Stephen Wing. Barnstable, six slain, Lieut. Fuller, JohnLewis, Eleazer C------ (probably Clapp) Samuel Linnet, Samuel Childs,Samuel Beraman. Yarmouth, five slain, John Matthews, John Gage, WilliamGage, Henry Gage, Henry Gold. Eastham, four slain, Joseph Nessefield, JohnWalker, John M------ (torn off), John Fitz, Jr. (Fitch), John Miller Jr. ThomasMan is just returned with a sore wound.

Thus sir, you have a sad account of the continuance of God’sdispleasure against us: yet still I desire steadfastly to look unto him, who isnot only able but willing to save all such as are fit for his salvation. It is aday of the wicked’s triumph, but the same word of God tells us histriumphing is brief. O that we may not lengthen it out by our sins. The Lordhelp us to join issue in our prayers, instantly and earnestly, for the healingand helping of our Land. Our Extremity is God’s opportunity.

Thus with our dearest respects to you and Mrs. Cotton, and suchsorrowful friends as are with you, I remain:

“Your ever assured friend,”

“Noah Newman”-----------------

Written in 1902, the writings may have gotten their resourcesby a handful of historical accounts. I do not believe that the writer of thisversion read the original letter that has been available to read in the early20 century at the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester,th

Massachusetts. (The original letter can be found under The Curwen familyManuscripts 1670-1684 Box 1 Folder 3), One of the first problems with thisversion is the dead soldiers that belonged to Scituate. Above, the writermentions “eighteen, of whom fifteen were slain.” They go on by listing only14 names? Bodge gives a different calculations in his writings on Newman’s


letter. He list 49 names to there 47, which seems very odd, since Newmanstates in the letter than there were 52 Englishmen slain and 11 Indians.While none of the names of the Indians are mentioned, he also leaves out 5names to incomplete the 52.---------------- Soldiers in King Philip War(Wrentham Library)Bodge page 349-350

From Scitutae, 15 Slain: Capt. Pierce Samuel Russell Benjamin Chittenden

John Lothrope Gershom Dodson SamuelPratt

Thomas Savery Joseph Wade William WilcomeJeremiah Barstow John Ensign Joseph CowenJoseph Perry John Rowse ---------?

Marshfield, 9 Slain: Thomas Little John Eams JosephWhite

John Burrows Joseph Phillips Samuel BumpJohn Low More-----? John Brance

Duxbury, 4 Slain: John Sprague Benjamin SoalThomas Hunt

Joshua Fobes

Sandwich, 5 Slain: Benjamin Nye Daniel Bessey CalebBlake

John Gibbs Stephen Wing

Barnstable, 6 Slain: Lieut. Fuller John Lewis EleazerClapp

Samuel Linnet Samuel Childs SamuelBereman

Yarmouth, 5 Slain: John Matthews John Gage William GageHenry Gage Henry Gold

Eastham, 3 Slain: Joseph Nessefield John Walker John M-----

(Rehoboth ?) 2 Slain: John Fitz Jr. John Miller Jr.


*The paper is much worn and mutilated, so that the names ofseveral are lost. It is said that Miller and Fitz were of Rehoboth, andprobably others. Seven or eight names are needed, in addition, to make upthe fifty-five.

*In the chart of the descendants of John Read of Rehoboth,published by Orin Read of Providence in 1859, it is stated that John Read’ssecond son, John Read Jr. was one of the Rehoboth killed in this fight.-------------

Bodge writes of his accounts that he has documented hisfindings from the original Newman letter. Unlike Field’s version, Bodge’sfindings include an extra (unknown) name to complete the 15 of the 18Scituate men, a list of Rehoboth men that fought in the battle, an additionof John Read, and a different spelling to a handful of the men including:

ScituateJohn Lothrop = John LothropeThomas Savary = Thomas SaveryJohn Rowse (Rose) = John Rowse--------- MarshfieldJohn Brawer = John Brance--------- SandwichJob Gibbs = John Gibbs---------- BarnstableJohn--------(possibly Clapp) = John Clapp----------

Like the version written in 1902, I strongly feel that Bodge did notstudy the original Newman letter. True, Bodge mentions after the roster ofmen that the condition of the letter is very poor. The right side of the letterhas been ripped and many of the names are poorly written on the page. Hedoes account for 2 names of men from Rehoboth and he mentions thatRehoboth was mentioned (or possibly mentioned) in the letter.

Bodge holds man “?” on his version as he is not sure whether it istrue. Also, Bodge mentions during his John Read point that another 7-8names are needed to complete the fifty-five names. Fifty-five? Newmanmentions in his letter that there are 52. Where did he get the number 55? Ihold this as strong evidence against this version because it doesn’t hold upto the original letter. It does, however, shed light in some of the names ofthe men in different spelling. I don’t know if this is anything promisingtoward the facts, it does show that it differs from the other secondary


source and must be hold accountable.During the turn of the century, a giant memorial service was

held in Central Falls to dedicate the site of the Pierce Fight. A small butlengthy book was edited by Thomas Bicknell about the history and theevent was passed out to spectators at the 228 anniversary in 1904 andth

was later published into a dime novel book later in 1908. They too wrote aversion of the list of men that died at the fight.-------------- Addresses and PoemIn Commemoration ofThe CAPTAIN MICHAEL PIERCE FIGHTMarch 26, 1676Memorial Service October 15 , 1904th

Dedication of Monument September 21, 1907Thomas W. Bicknell Editor 1908

The Pierce MassacreMarch 26, 1676

Names of the slain as given by Rev. Noah Newman, of Rehoboth,April 27, 1676

SCITUATE SANDWICHCapt. Michael Pierce Benjamin NyeSamuel Russell David Berrey-Benjamin Chittenden Caleb BlakeJohn Lothrop- Job GibbsGershom Dodson Stephen WingSamuel PrattThomas Savary- BARNSTABLEJoseph Wade Lieut. FullerWilliam Wilson- John LewisJeremiah Barstow Eleazer (probably Clapp)John Ensign Samuel Linnett-Joseph Cowen Samuel ChildsJoseph Perry Samuel BeremanJohn Perry-John Rose- YARMOUTH

John MatthewsDUXBURY John GageJohn Sprague William GageBenjamin (Soule) Soal- Henry GageThomas Hunt Henry Gold , or Gould-


Joshua ForbesEASTHAM

MARSHFIELD Joseph NessefieldThomas Little John WalkerJohn Eames- John M------- Joseph White John Fitts, Jr.John Burrows John Miller, Jr.Joseph PhillipsSamuel BumpJohn LowMore-------John Brance

Once again, this version boggles my mind. In many areas, wehave different spellings of the person’s names. Some, including Henry Gold(Gould), and William Wilson make me think twice to where they got theirinformation. With Eleazer Clapp, you’d think they got their information fromthe 1902 version, which marks the same problem of this person’s name“probably being Clapp.”

Then again, from the original letter, it is clear that SamuelLinnet has only one “t” at the end of his name. The writer of this versiongives him 2 “t’s. Then again, this could be a simple era, but for history’ssake, errors become facts. However, the Bicknell version is the only one ofthe three to mention the name John Perry for being the missing 15 soldierth

from Scituate. Somewhat of a Perry problem, John and Joseph were bothPerry’s from Scituate. A simple error, the name must have been skippedover when referencing the original letter that clearly shows his name on thelist. Still, if taken from the original letter, why does this version haveseveral errors?

Unlike the 1902 version, they mention John Fitts Jr. (Fitz /Fitch) name and John Miller Jr.. Then again, they list them under Easthamand not Rehoboth. There is once again a side note listed on the same pagediscussing the possible men from Rehoboth.

Address by Hon. Amasa M. Eaton

“About fifty of the Puritan settlers of Swansea of which this regionthen formed part, accompanied by a few friendly Indians, were hereoverwhelmed and massacred by several hundred Indians, but threeescaping and some being put to death after the fight, by torture, at “NineMen’s Misery.” These facts and figures tell the tale. The desperate fight andmassacre here is only paralleled in all the annals of Indian warfare, by the


massacre of Custer’s force, just two centuries later. Among the men whothus met death here were two of my ancestors, John Fitch Jr. and JohnMiller Jr., sons of the two pioneers of the same names…-----------

The address above makes me question the spelling of Fitch’sname as Fitts. They mention his name twice on the same page and misspellit? Amasa mentions the correct spelling and then it is goofed later in theroster of soldiers as Fitts. Also, Amas mentions the factual error that thisevent was a massacre. Define massacre in your own words, but whencomparing the event to Custer’s Last Stand, you have yourself two differentdefinitions. The 1902 version does mention the fact that out of the 18Scituate men, 3 lived. Amasa mentions three men who escaped. Thenagain, they do not mention the handful of Cape Indians that did escape. The1902 version also mentions that Newman states that 11 of the friendlyIndians died among the men. History states that 20 something Indiansjoined Pierce’s company, what happened to the other possible 9 survivors ofthe Cape Indians? Also, Thomas Mann is mentioned from returning with justa sore wound but is never mentioned from where he is from! All 3 versionsfail to mention Thomas Mann’s home settlement.

Still, one fact that not even the original letter mentions is thereturn of 2 men (one from Barnstable, the other from Yarmouth) thatreturned shortly after the letter was written and sent to Plymouth.

After years of research with death records and primary sourcesfrom letters and certificates, Samuel Linnet and John Matthews are said tohave escaped the fight and returned to Rehoboth days later. These mayhave been the survivors from the battle that fled north up to present dayNorth Attleboro to the Woodcock Garrison for safety. Appearing to havebeen written after Newman’s writings, the letter quotes:

“Since the writing of this letter, John Matthews & Sam Linnit arefound alive.”

This is one of many things found in the original letter that these3 version leave out. Still, all three writings were wrote in the 1900’s. Frommy findings, there were three earlier records written that may be the causefor the confusion. In the 1830’s, two local gentlemen were working on theirseparate history of there homes. John Daggeet began research on thehistory of the Attleborough area while Leonard Bliss wrote his history onRehoboth in the same year. By 1836, both men published works of theirhistorical findings.

Concerning the letter, Daggett never wrote of its existence until1894 when his daughter rewrote “A Sketch of the History of Attleborough.(Page 112) Only mentioning the event and the outcome, Daggett spoke


very little in the Pierce Fight and Nine Men’s Misery, while Bliss wrote muchmore. In fact, the edition of the Newman letter than Daggett gives in his1894 version is an almost identical copy of Bliss’ one in 1836. Except for adifferent spelling each man gives for John Brawer / John Brance, bothletters fall for the Perry Problem (14 for 15 names) by leaving out JohnPerry’s name and they do not include Rehoboth as one of the settlements.Both accounts do not have enough names to complete a 52-member rosterof names.

While Bliss’ History of the Rehoboth seems to be the frontrunnerof 19 . Century historians, there is yet another earlier rewrite of theth

Newman letter. Samuel Deane’s History of Scituate (page 122) also givesan account of the Newman letter. In his version, a side-note is given statingthe author’s findings on the topic:------------ HISTORY OF SCITUATESamuel DeanePage 122-123

*The authenticity of this letter is beyond doubt. It came into ourpossession in the following manner. We (the complier of this work)remembered to have been shown a copy of it, several years since, byHayward Pierce, Esq. a lineal descendent of Captain Michael Pierce, and tohave been informed by him, that the original was in the possession ofRossitter Cotton, Esq. of Plymouth, a descendent of the Rev. Cotton towhom the letter was addressed. We applied to this gentleman, whoinformed us that he had sent the letter, with others, to the AntiquarianSociety at Worcester. By the politeness of the venerable President of theSociety, the original letter was found, and copied for us by EmoryWashburn, Esq. of Worcester Rev. Mr. Newman deceased April 16, 1678.

Deane states (above) that his version is a copy from the originalthat Newman wrote in 1676. It is not! While the Deane version does includeJohn Perry among the other 15 to complete a correct 15, he is unable to listRehoboth down as a settlement and totals his soldiers to 48 and not 52. Another incomplete writing of the letter, it holds up as one of the firstrewrites since the original in 1676. Knowing this, you can account allmistakes from past historians back to Deane’s. If not his, then the originalletter by Newman was misread and miswrote. This is the prime examplewhy most historians have a different number of Englishmen in Pierce’scompany. While Church mention 50 Englishmen, Daggett and Bliss write of63 English, and still, others will mention numbers as low as 48 and as highas 70. It all adds up to factual errors in secondary sources.

The final rewrite of the Newman letter was written by Dr. JohnG. Erhardt in the later part of the 20 Century. In his rewrite, Erhardt writesth


a series of volumes to the history of the early Plymouth Colony. Word forword, Erhardt is credited with researching the original Newman letter andaccounting for the complete work. Erhardt mentions 3 Perry’s presentamong the men of Scituate and accounts for the Rehoboth section ofvolunteers.------------------ Volume IIRehoboth, Plymouth Colony1645-1692by Dr. John G. Erhardt

...Eastham 4 Slaine: Joseph Nessefield, John Walker, John M(torn), Nathaniel Williams. Of Rehob. (Rehoboth) slaine 4: John Read, Benj.(torn / Buckland), John Fitch Jun., John Miller Jun., & Thomas Mann isreturned with a sore wound….-------------------

In this version, we finally hear of the existence of the 4th

member of the Eastham recruits: Nathaniel Williams. Seen on the Newmanletter, he had been misread for over 200 years. Also, the attachment of the4 Rehoboth men add two new names, Benjamin Buckland and John Read.While past accounts include John Read as a possible member of theRehoboth men, he was never listed among the men in any of the versions.Like Nathaniel Williams, John Read is among the rest in the originalNewman letter.

Erhardt is credited with solving the 200 year-old mistakes of the19 Century historians who carelessly fumbled certain names in theirth

reversion of the letter. Still, like Bliss, Daggett, Deane, and many others,Erhardt also wrote a wrong account. Among his rewrite from the letter,Erhardt lists a total of 54 names of soldiers on the list. Including ThomasMann, Erhardt states that 54 names were written in the Newman letter thathad fought and died in the battle. Since Mann returned home from theevent with just a sore wound, he does not make up the 52 dead thatNewman mentions in his letter. (Erhardt also includes Sam Lennet and JohnMatthews among the list, which made up the complete list of presumeddead by Newman)

That leaves 53 names? If this is true, it goes against Newman’stotal of 52 by one extra name. Among the men in Yarmouth, Erhardt gives6 names, which include one unknown members, which cannot be read sincethe paper was “torn.” Looking carefully at the original letter, you will noticethat the first letter in the “name” can be read. The letter “s.” While Erhardtbelieves this “s” belongs to a first name of a soldier, I disagree. Anothersimple errors made, it fumbles up Newman’s number of 52.

I believe the “s” is the first letter in the word “slaine” that


proceed many of the titles of each individual settlement (Yarmouth,Barnstable, Scitutate, etc.) If my belief is true, then Erhardt’s completetotal of the men would be 52, making it correct to Newman’s original list.This is a major find in the letter. It finally completes the long lovedconspiracy of the Newman letter and ends many of the questions of howmany men (white English) fought in the Pierce Fight.

THE CORRECT LOCATION OF PIERCES’ FIGHT

It safe to say that the current site of Pierces’ Fight looks entirelydifferent from what it looked like over 300 years ago. Even when the sitewas erected into a state park (known as Pierce’s Park / River Walk) back inthe turn of the century, the site has gone through several industrial andresidential changes. Several streets intersect into the two main bodies ofparklands that make up the Park and River Walk areas. The originaltombstone like plaque that reads the original dedication of Pierce’s Park sitson the corner grass field of the football field on the west bank.

Surrounded by a medal chain link fence, the green plaque iscovered from the old age of time. Even though you can make out many ofthe words on the plaque, the chain link fence that stands two feet in front ofit doesn’t help either. Next to the football field and its plaque is a publicbusiness. A medium size brick building, it is something of an auto garage /warehouse. This is only half of the modern day Pierce Park, which makes uphalf of the area.

On the other side of the park sits the modern day River Walkthat was erected sometime in the early 1990’s. The area consists of a littleleague baseball field with fence and a decent River Walk park area that onlycovers a small section of the river that borders the east side. On thenorthern side of the River Walk is simply woods. You may follow the dirtpaths all the way up to the Central Falls / Cumberland lines to the mainbend in the river. It is in this area where you can find many of the localesstill untouched for many years. While most of the vicinity is still woodedarea, you may be able to find landscapes that look similar to what manypast writers have described. On the opposite side, on the southern end, theRiver Walk borders more private businesses and residential area. Most ofwhat the land looked like back in 1676 is forever gone. With the ages ofprogress, most of it is missing in time. Then again, some remains.

Now for the question: Where is the exact location of the PierceFight? I leave this question up to the very same man who wrote an articlein the Providence Journal back in the 1880’s for the Nine Men’s Misery.James O. Whitney wrote and read a paper of his research of Pierce’s Fight infront of a panel of listeners with the Rhode Island Historical Society. Hisfindings still hold true after all these years in the location, however,


Whitney does add to the controversy of what happened at Pierces’ Fight.See if you can find any biases accounts in Whitney’s reading.----------------- A PAPERRead Before The Rhode Island Historical SocietyTuesday October 1, 1889By. James O. Whitney, M.D. of Pawtucket, R.I.

The Location of “Pierce Fight”

The honorable John Daggett, late of Attleborough, in his “Sketchof History” of his native town “from its settlement to the present time”1834, page 47, says that this fearful contest, between the hostile Indians,the friendly ones and the whites, was Sunday, March 26, 1676 in the part ofAttleborough then known as the “Gore” which became Cumberland, R.I. in1746, “near the Blackstoneriver.”

If that historian was correct, regarding the place where thefateful fight took place—more fateful to the victors than to thevanquished—it was in the quadrilatoral formed by the Abbott Run on theeast, on the north by a line drawn from Robin Hollow (Cumberland Mills), tothe station. Lonsdale, where Blackstone lived for thirty-nine years, on thewest by the river named for him, and on the south by it also, for oppositethe so-called Pond Tavern, in the town of Lincoln, the course of the river iseast for nearly a mile to where the first named stream falls into the largerone, at the part of Valley Falls in Cumberland, known as “Happy Hollow.”Here if anywhere within the limits of Cumberland, is the spot where CaptainPierce, with his mixed force of friendly Indians and white settlers, in all acommand of but eighty-four men, met according to Daggett, nine hundredsavages under the lead of Canonchet, who were therefore all of theNarragansett tribe.

Blackstone died May 26, 1675, ten months prior to this greatcontest, hence he was not there to deter by admonition or otherwise, theinvasion, by the Indians of the ground above described, where now nearthree thousand people dwell in security, prosperity, and happiness.

I will give the account of the battle, as related by Daggett,because it is the clearest to be found.

“The government of Plymouth, fearing that their settlementswould be again attacked, after so many outrages had been committed inMassachusetts, ordered out a company for their defense, consisting of sixty-three Englishmen and twenty Cape Indians, under the command of Capt.Michael Pierce, of Scituate, Mass. He immediately marched in pursuit of theenemy who were supposed to be in the vicinity. He rendezvoused at thegarrison in Rehoboth on Saturday night. The next day, having intelligence


in his garrison at Seaconicke (Seekonk) that a party of the enemy lay nearMr. Blackstone’s, he went forth with sixty-three Englishmen and twentyCape Indians, and soon discovered four or five Indians in a piece of woodswho pretended to be lame and wounded, but proved to be decoys to leadthe whites into ambuscade, for they soon discovered five hundred more ofthe enemy. Pierce, though aware of their superiority of numbers,courageously pursued, when they began to retreat slowly; but there soonappeared another company of four hundred Indians who were now able tosurround him; a party of the enemy was stationed on the opposite side ofthe river to prevent the English from crossing; they were thus attacked infront and rear by an overwhelming force; all chance of retreat and all hopeof escape were cut off.

This was a most trying moment, but there was no flinching—noquailing. Each one knew that in all human probability he must die on thatfield, and that too, under the most appalling circumstances—by the hand ofa merciless enemy who sought their extermination. But bravely and noblydid they submit to their fate, each one resolved to do his duty and sell hislife at the dearest rate. At such a time the awful war-hoop of the Indianswould have sent a thrill of terror to the hearts of any but brave men.

At this critical juncture Capt. Pierce made an exceedinglyjudicious movement. He formed his men into a circle, back to back, withfour paces between each man, thus enlarging the circle to its greatestextent (about 1000 feet in diameter) presenting a front to the enemy inevery direction, and necessarily scattering their fire over a greater surface;whilst the Indians stood in a deep circle, one behind the other, forming acompact mass, and presenting a front where every shot must take effect. (Afootnote states that the Indians were as thick as they could stand, thirtydeep). Thus he made a brave resistance for two hours, all the while keepingthe enemy at a distance and his own men in perfect order, and kept up aconstant destructive fire upon the Indians. But no courage or skill couldprevail in such an unequal contest, or longer resist such a force. At lastoverpowered by numbers, Capt. Pierce and fifty-five English and ten CapeIndians were slain on the spot, which in such a cause and under suchdisadvantages may certainly be styled the Bed of Honor. But this victorywas gained at a great sacrifice. The Indians lost as many, not countingwomen and children, as in the great swamp fight at Narragansett, whichwere computed at over three hundred! This was the sorest defeat which thecolony of Plymouth suffered during the war, and caused great distress everywhere, for the numbers lost amounted to about one third of their regularforce. According to Church, not a single white man returned from thisbloody and fatal battlefield.

As soon as the Rehoboth people received information of thedangerous situation on Capt. Pierce and his men, they dispatched a


company to his assistance, who arrived in season only to perform the lastoffices to the dead bodies of their countrymen. The courage and resolutiondisplayed on this occasion deserves commendation. These brave soldierswere entitled to the gratitude of the colony for whose defense they had thussacrificed their lives, they were taken by surprise, and completelysurrounded by a force ten times their superior. Pierce was a bold andadventurous man (a Custer) fear formed no part of his character. His menpartook of his courage. They pushed forward—perhaps imprudently—andthus fell into the snare, which their enemy had prepared for them.Considering the number engaged, it was doubtless the most warmly andclosely contested of all the engagements which took place during thateventful period between the white and the red men. Nearly four hundredwere killed on both sides.

History has recorded with applause, every feat of bravery, whenperformed on a more conspicuous station, whilst it has often overlooked thehumble though equally meritorious exploit. It requires more true courage todie on such a field, with such a foe, than on the plains of Waterloo, amidthe ‘pomp and circumstances of glorious war.’”

According to the eminent writer—Arnold Canonchet wascaptured nine days after the Pierce contest and near the spot where he andhis men were nearly annihilated. On a plateau of some thirty or forty acres,east of the residences of Lincoln, which is from four to twenty feet abovethe bed of the Blackstone, and bounded north and east by that river, southby a ledge and a hill, and also, we can now say, by the bed of theProvidence and Boston railroad, is the location which seems to me to havebeen the scene of Pierce’s Fight. The Providence and Worcester railroad wasbuilt in 1846, on the westerly side of this battleground.

In Bliss’ History of Rehoboth, 1836, page 88, it says, regardingthe location of this Indian victory: “It was between the villages of Pawtucketand Valley Falls, nearer the latter, at a spot which, I have been told, wasformerly called ‘The Many Holes.’ It commenced on the east side of the river(the Blackstone) but the severest part of the action was on the west,immediately on the bank of the stream. Some have placed the site of thisbattle considerably farther up the river, between the bridge and Study Hill,the former residence of Blackstone. But from this having been some timesstyled, by the older inhabitants, ‘The Battle of the Plain,’ from its havingbeen fought on the border of the great ‘Seekonk Plain,’ the former spot,tradition being equally strong in its favor, seems to possess the highestclaims to being the battle ground.”

Evidently, neither Daggett nor Bliss made a careful personalinspection of either of the places, where tradition located Pierce’s Fight, yetthe latter historians was, no doubt, correct. “Many Holes,” means a smallterritory east pf the Blackstone, opposite the plateau and just above the


point where it is spanned by the railroad bridge, also built in 1846, uponwhich the Providence and Boston cars cross. Close by Pumping Station No.1, now filled with water, to be seen on the right from the cars, goingeasterly, and on the left all may see the principal ravine. Leading to theriver across this ravine is a causeway, which also forms the highway and adam for the water privilege called, for half a century at least, the “HomePrint Works.” There is a pond above the dam some forty acres in extent, butin 1676 it was one of the Many Holes. A glimpse of this pond may perhaps,be had from the cars, while crossing the river, when there are no leaves onthe trees to hide the view. The freight branch of the Providence andWorcester railroad, which extends from Valley Falls to East Providence, wasbuilt through this pond, which is usually designated “Cranberry Pond.” Fromthis railroad this pond is fully seen. It was in 1676, the largest of the ManyHoles. Another approach to it is by walking easterly, over the hills, fromPumping Station No. 2 at that part of Valley Falls termed Happy Hollow,about one-third of a mile. This hole or hollow was probably a small pond inits lowest part in 1676, unless in very dry seasons, yet it could havesheltered hundreds of Indians from the view of the whites as they camefrom the garrison at “Seaconicke.” The land all about and between the twoPumping Stations, which are half a mile apart and east of the Blackstone, isa hill and dale, therefore well calculated for Indian warfare. Hidden in andamong these Many Holes they emerged from their shelter and either forcedPierce across the Blackstone or he was decoyed across by his cunning foes,to the west side, where, not a doubt, the severest part of the action tookplace. The chief ravine through which the Indians emerged from thisshelter, to surround Pierce and his men, it is easy to understand, as the bedof the rivulet, which higher up, is called to this day the “Sweetin Brook.”“Many Holes” is in the town of Attleborough, Mass., yet but a few rods eastof the river and from the dividing line between that town and Cumberland.Captain Pierce and his little command crossed the Blackstone, no doubt,where or near where it is crossed by the Boston cars but above rather thanbelow that point to the plateau, to find themselves, at once surrounded byIndians, as stated by all writers. The few primitive and leafless treesafforded but a partial protection to bullets, to either party. “Many Holes,” asour 89-years-old sergeant of Pawtucket, who was born at the Home PrintWorks, calls “Many Holes” of the historians, has been quite fully described,but a more complete portrayal of the land on the west side of theBlackstone will give a clearer understanding of the way captain Pierce wasensnared.

On the west of Broad Street, in the village of Central Falls, is ahigh ledge, a thousand feet in length or more. From the top of thisminiature Mount Webster, the Indians could have surveyed Seekonk Plainfor miles, and did, not a doubt. Between Broad Street and the ledge is an


extended ridge, several hundred feet in length, a hollow or ravine isbetween the ledge and ridge, which terminates near where Fales streetends, at the foot of the ledge. Around the south end of the ledge theIndians gained this ravine, and where the last named and Foundry streetsnow are was also a ravine at right angle with the ledge, by way of which theIndians could have gotten within 200 feet of the Blackstone, and unseen byPierce, for there is a rocky hill extending eastwardly, very near to it, Pierce,we may suppose, was either on the plateau, or still among the Many Holes,on the east side of the river. Behind the ledge thousands of Indians couldhave hidden, and emerged to the battle ground around the north end of it,by way of another and a larger ravine, near where the dividing line is, ifthere be one between the villages of Central and Valley Falls, in Lincoln.Again, in the rear of the residences of Messrs. Jonathan and James H. Chacethere is a large hollow, where many Indians could have been secreted, toemerge to the field of contest, by way of the large ravine or gained it fromthe north, and by creeping along under the bank of the river, aided theirfriends, who were on the east of it, in the many hiding places there, inpreventing the English from beating a retreat, by re-crossing theBlackstone.

While my professional engagements have not familiarized me insurveying, sketching and judging of battlefields, I think our militarypresident, Gen. Rogers, should he visit the grounds which I haveundertaken to delineate, would at once conclude, that on this plateau iswhere the Pierce fight took place.

We must remember that in 1676, there were no dams on theBlackstone, therefore no obstacles to crossing it in March, unlessimmediately after heavy rains or thaws.

We are informed that the great Swamp fight with theNarragansett, was December 26, 1676, and that it was then intensely cold.Perhaps there was ice to aid the combatants in crossing the river. All thehistorians, however, agree in this, that in fixing the location of Pierce’sFight, whether near Whipple’s Bridge, or on the plateau here described, theIndians in force, or the English, had to get across the Blackstone. From thetop of Dexter’s ledge, Fall River even may be seen by the unaided eye. Thewatchmen of Canonchet saw all that transpired at the garrison at Seekonk, and alsoCaptain Pierce during his entire march to the fatal field.

Two days later, i.e., March 28, 1676, Rehoboth (now Seekonk)was burned. Rehoboth North Purchase included Cumberland, NorthAttleboro, and Attleboro. Ancient Rehoboth included these three towns thatpart of Pawtucket that lies east of the river, Swansea, Barrington, Warren,East Providence, and Seekonk, as now constituted. In the center of the lastnamed towns was, in 1676, the Rehoboth garrison from where Pierce


started on the morning of that fatal day. He sent, as tradition hath it, amessenger to Providence to apprise the garrison there of his march to meetCanonchet. For unexplained reasons the message did not reach Pierce’sfriends. Being the Sabbath and the messenger probably not impressed withthe great importance of this mission, it is said that finding all the people atchurch and loth to disturb any one, he did not deliver his letter ofinstructions until too late. Captain Pierce. Expecting the aid that neverarrived while he was alive, will perhaps explain his apparently recklessmanagement. There was no chance to dispatch a messenger to Providence,from the battlefield. None could escape by re-crossing the river, and nodoubt but the nine who were destroyed at “Nine Men’s Misery,” inCumberland, made their way across the Blackstone on the north of the fieldby blacking their faces with powder in order to conceal from their foes thatthey were white men, and that they were pursued, captured and tortured todeath, as all captives in the hands of the Indians then were.

To Daggett’s history of Attleborough, to Bliss’ history ofRehoboth and to Mrs. George Sheffield, Attleboro, a daughter of the lateHon. John Daggett, I am indebted for the data regarding this fight, but littleis to be found regarding its location.

Having been conversant, for over forty years, with the groundswhich I have described, a long-ago conceived wish has now been realizedby putting on record these views regarding the location and techniques of‘Pierce’s Fight.” Those who have written histories of Rhode Island havemade little or no mention of this memorable event, probably, because itwas fought by men of Plymouth colony, therefore the records are atPlymouth, Massachusetts.

It may be mentioned that there are two hollows besides thatpart of North Main street, Pawtucket, which is east of Broadway, whereperhaps, were placed the decoy Indians, spoke of by Daggett. To lead Piercetoward where Cranberry Pond now is, rather than more to the south wouldhave been good strategy. The theory being that Canonchet intended todecoy the English to the very spot where the contest took place, and thathe had men on the south side of the rocky hill, which extends to near theriver, through which pass the railroad train. By leading Pierce north-wardlythese Indians would not have been seen by him.

A century hence, the requirements of civilized life will haveobliterated the principal part of the landmarks that have been delineated inthis paper. Since my remembrance even, quite a fraction of Dexter’s ledgehas been blasted away and the ravines filled, for building purposes. “ManyHoles” will have been filled, unless the largest, i.e., Cranberry Pond, which,not unlikely will be larger than at present, unless the power of electricityshall then have been so perfected as to be the most economical of any, andwithout any extraneous aid.


It is not at all probable the Pierce was decoyed through “ManyHoles” to Study Hill, over two miles from Seekonk Plain. He certainly did nosuch reckless thing.-------------- THE 228 / 231 . ANNIVERSARY OF PIERCE’S FIGHT (1904)th st

The (Somewhat) Honorable Edwin C. Pierce helped design andcreate a celebration of the Captain Pierce Fight in the early 20 Century. Ath

memorial service was held in 1904. 3 years later, the dedication of themonument was erected in the fall of 1907. Finally, the “dime novel” styledbook of the history and the event of Pierce’s Fight was made available tothe public in 1908. Edited by Thomas W. Bicknell, the one-sided account ofthe story was published and made a record of the historical event. From myrecords, the only copy left in existence can be found (and made available)at the Rhode Island Historical Society on Hope Street in Providence, RhodeIsland.

Read for yourself the story told for the celebration of the event.Not only was this written for one audience but from a man with the samelast name as Captain Pierce. Over 25 pages of text, only a handful of thebook is found below. The rest consist of poems, schedules, etc. for theevent that took place in 1904.

ADDRESSES AND POEMIn Commemoration ofThe CAPTAIN MICHAEL PIERCE FIGHTMarch 26 1676th,

1908, pages 18-(Add picture of Edwin C. Pierce)

The Michael Pierce FightBy, Edwin C. Pierce

This is historic ground. It is the scene of one of the most tragicand most heroic events in early New England history. Here, in 1676, just ahundred years before the Declaration of American Independence, with avalor as distinguished as that of the Greek heroes at old Thermopylae,although un-victorious, our ancestors, undaunted, fronted inevitable defeatand certain death in hand-to-hand conflict with an outnumbering savagefoe. Here they died upon the Bed of Honor.

Here we, their descendants, come, two hundred and thirty-oneyears after the day of blood and battle on which they painfully laid downtheir lives for their countrymen and for posterity, to celebrate their bravesacrifice, to erect here a memorial of their heroic devotion, and to consider


and, if we may, profitably interpret the lessons to be drawn from the historyof that tragic event and that serious and strenuous time.

Let us first review the facts that happened here, the actualitiesof the tragedy, the fortitude and desperate valor, unsurpassed in the annalsof warfare, here displayed; and then consider somewhat the war in whichPierce’s Fight was a bloody day, the merits of the war, the cause for whichthey died.

The day of Pierce’s Fight was Sunday, March 26 , 1676. It wasth

in the midst of Philip’s War. That war, the bloody and decisive strugglebetween the English colonists and the Indians, had been raging for nearly ayear. The Narragansett, that proud and powerful tribe with whom RogerWilliams and the Rhode Island and Providence colonists had longmaintained unbroken peace and friendship, had at last been drawn intohostilities towards the colonists. In December 1675, the Narragansett hadbeen attacked in their strong fort in South Kingstown, defeated, slaughteredby hundreds, and their power forever broke. With the courage of despair,the still formidable remnant of the Narragansett warriors took the war-pathearly in the Spring of 1676, under their brave chief, who knew not fear,Nanunteenoo, better known as Canonchet, son of the famous Miantonomi.

The Narragansett, while renewing and with sincerity so far asmay be judged, to Roger Williams pledges of immunity for him did notwithhold their vengeance from settlers in Rhode Island. Parties of warriorspenetrated into Plymouth Colony, was aroused to action for the defense ofthe homes and the loves of its people. This defense could only be repelled,by waging offensive war against the Narragansett, by pursuing themarauding bands and attacking them wherever they might be found in theirforest fastnesses.

The duty of leading in the pursuit and attack of the Narragansettwas assigned to Captain Michael Pierce, of Scituate, that beautiful town onthe Massachusetts Bay northward from Plymouth. More than twenty yearsbefore, the chivalric captain of Plymouth, of the early days, Myles Standish,had been borne to his grave in fair Duxbury, overlooked by Captain’s Hill onwhich a stately monument has been reared in honor.

Now, when first afterwards occasion arose for the militarydefense of the Plymouth Colony, Michael Pierce, of Scituate, appears as thesuccessor of him who so long and so worthily wielded the sword of Gideonfor that defense. At the outbreak of Philip’s War, Michael Pierce was aboutsixty years of age, having been born in England about the year 1615. Hecame to the Plymouth Colony about the year 1645, a quarter of a centuryafter the landing of the Pilgrims, and settled almost immediately inScituate, where he ever after resided. He appears to have been a brother ofthat John Pierce of London, who secured a patent, or royal grant, from NewEngland, before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, which patent he assigned


to the Plymouth Company after their settlements had been effected. He wasalso, according to the early historians of New England, a brother of thatCaptain William Pierce who was the most famous master of ships that cameto the New England coast; the warm friend of Winslow and Bradford, whocommanded the Mayflower in New England waters, although not on her firstfamous voyage, the “Charity” when she brought Winslow and the firstcattle, the ‘Lion” when she arrived with provisions in the crisis of thefamine, Roger Williams being his passenger upon that memorable occasion,and who while fighting the Spaniards in the West Indies was mortallywounded and found his grave in the ocean, on which he had made his longand honorable career. Michael Pierce was with the Plymouth forces in thebloody Narragansett fight in South Kingstown in December 1675. Earlier inthat year he made his will which is of record in the Plymouth records, thepreamble of which is:

“I, Michael Pierce of Scituate, in the government of NewPlymouth in America, being now by the appointment of God, going out towar against the Indian do make this my last will and testament.”

Acting under orders from the Plymouth Colony, Captain Piercewith a company comprising about fifty Englishmen and twenty friendly CapeIndians, started in pursuit of the marauding Narragansett. The Plymouthband proceeded without encounter with the foe as far as Rehobothsettlement, which was on the extreme western boundary of the PlymouthColony by the Seekonk.

The men of Rehoboth were living in constant expectation ofattack from the hostile Indians, and the arrival of Captain Pierce’s companymust have been most welcome.

Making his temporary headquarters at Rehoboth, Captain Pierceon Saturday, the 25 . of March, sailed forth with a small party of his men inth

search of the hostiles. Discovering the Narragansett on considerable forcethe colonials attacked and, without loss to themselves, inflictedconsiderable losses upon the enemy. Captain Pierce on this day, does notappear wanting in prudence. Rev. Noah Newman of Rehoboth in a letterwritten the next day, after recounting that Captain Pierce “upon discoveringthe enemy, fought him, without damage to himself, and judged that he hadconsiderably damned themselves,” goes on to say:

‘Yet he being of no great force, chose rather to retreat and goout the next morning, with a recruit of men; and accordingly he did, takingpilots from us, that were acquainted with the ground.” And the accountproceeds: “But it pleased the Sovereign God so to order it, that they wereenclosed with a great multitude of the enemy which hath slain fifty-two ofour Englishmen and eleven Indians—18 from Scituate, including Capt.Pierce; Marshfield 9; Duxbury, 4; Sandwich, 5; Barnstable, 6; Yarmouth, 5;Eastham, 4; Thomas Mann is just returned with a sore wound.”


The colonial Captain had received intelligence that a party of theenemy lay near Blackstone’s house at Study Hill in Cumberland, andappears not to have been daunted by the apprehension reasonably to havebeen entertained that Canonchet with all the warriors of the Narragansettnation might be close at hand, preparing an ambuscade. The PlymouthCaptain, however, did not omit to summon all the forces upon which hecould call. Before leaving Rehoboth to march to the attack, he dispatched amessenger to captain Andrew Edmunds, of Providence, with a letter askingEdmunds to meet him at a spot above Pawtucket, on the river, and assisthim in the enterprise. The messenger reached Providence on Sundaymorning, but either there was delay in the delivery of the letter or theProvidence men were not willing to leave Providence undefended. At anyrate no reinforcements from Providence reached the Plymouth colonials.

As the ambuscade was near Quinsniket, there can be no doubtthat Canonchet with perhaps seven hundred warriors of the brave and nowutterly desperate Narragansett nation had made this rocky fastness his baseof operations. There, under the overhanging rock of the hill top the savageChieftain held his council fore and the plan for the ambuscade was laid. Thesortie of the colonials from Rehoboth on Saturday must have been reportedto Canonchet, and he must have judged that encouraged by their success,the English would continue their advance, and accordingly he prepared toambush, overwhelm and annihilate them.

Early on Sunday morning the colonials marched from Rehoboth.Their number, recruited at Rehoboth, amounted to a few over sixty Englishand about twenty friendly Wampanoags from the Cape. They doubtlessproceeded across the Seekonk plains and skirted the east bank of theBlackstone until they reached a point on the river above Pawtucket Fallswhere the river was fordable, the territory at that point being then calledthe Attleborough Gore. The territory on the west bank of the river is now inCentral Falls. There can be no doubt as to the spot because at no otherplace on the river could a large body of men approach a ford. At this pointthe ford was approached through a ravine having a wide level ground oneither side of which rose a wood crowned hill. The hills have long since beenleveled. The plan of Canonchet was to draw the colonials into this defile andthen attack them from the hills and to cut the retreat by quickly throwing astrong force in their rear. As a decoy a few Indians showed themselvesrambling in a wood. They fled at the approach of the colonials supposedthem to have been wounded in the fight of Saturday and gave chase. Thereis uncertainty from the narratives whether these decoys were seen on thewest bank by a party which had pushed across the river in advance of themain body of the colonials, and there is probability in this because prudencewould dictate that in warfare with a foe is cunning, an advance party wouldbe thrown across the river.


An experienced Indian fighter like Captain Church woulddoubtless have sent his spies upon the hills on the east bank beforeentering the ravine.

It is probable that as at that time of the year only theevergreens of the forest were in leaf, the colonials were beguiled into asense of security, not deeming it possible for the enemy to lie in ambush ingreat numbers, and advanced with less caution than if it had been later inthe season. Doubtless they swept the low hills with their eyes, anddoubtless the foe, with the exception of a concealed spy, lay a considerabledistance back from the brow flat upon the ground and covered by dry leavesand hidden behind rocks and trees.

At any rate, Captain Pierce led his company into the ravine andapproached the river, probably following the advance party of his men,which had crossed in safety. Suddenly the silence was rent with savagecries, and springing from their concealment on the commanding hills, theNarragansett directed their deadly and painfully wounding arrows upon thecolonials who were this entrapped. Canonchet with all his warriors was uponthem. The highest estimate of the number of the Narragansett that attackedCapt. Pierce’s little force is about a thousand. Other narratives estimate sixor seven hundred. If there were six hundred, the colonials must haverealized that their doom was sealed, except indeed for the hope that Capt.Edmunds would shortly arrive with his Providence Company. Instantly thecolonial Captain realized that his only chance lay in getting out of the defileby crossing the river. On the west bank there was an open, or at least notheavily wooded, plain, in which his men would be out of arrow shot fromthe hills and where they could at least make a better defense than waspossible in the ravine. Then, too, they would be on the side on which Capt.Edmunds might be marching to their aid. It seems probable that in order tomake the decoys successful, the warriors on the west side lay in ambush agood distance from the river, so that the colonials were able to cross theriver, probably not without loss, and gain the open space where theyproposed to make their stand.

While the enemy was swarming down the ravine and across theriver in hot pursuit, a band of at least three hundred Narragansett rushedupon the colonials from their concealment on the west side, so that thecolonials were now completely surrounded. Capt. Pierce now threw his meninto a circle placing his men in ranks, back to back, and facing the foe theythus fought to the death.

No banners waved, no martial music stimulated their ardor, nosounds except the reverberations of musketry and the terrifying yells of theinfuriated warriors who encompassed them about. The colonials were indeedbetter supplied with firearms than the enemy, but they were of the ancient,slow firing sort, while the arrows of the fort were directed against them


from behind trees and rocks with unerring aim, and tomahawks hurledthrough the air by the powerful savage were felling them to the ground. Resolved to sell their lives at as dear a rate as possible, the colonials stoodtheir ground with ever thinning ranks, for about two hours, keepingthemselves in order and the enemy at a little distance.

The formation of the order of the battle is related by a chronicleof the time in these words:

“Captain Pierce cast his sixty-three English and twenty Indiansinto a ring, and six fought back to back, and were double, double distanceall in one ring, whilst the Indians were as thick as they could stand thirtydeep.”

Imagine the horror of that Sunday morning scene on the bankof the Blackstone. It was both a fight and a massacre. See that circle ofdetermined men fighting their forlorn hope! See the circle ever contractingas the men fall in their places! The dead lie thick upon the ground, and howmany fall covered with bleeding arrow wounds, which disable but do notimmediately kill! Doubtless as the circle narrows, those who are still in thelanguage of the old chronicle “keeping the enemy at a distance andthemselves in order,” pull their wounded and dying comrades within thecircle to save them to the last from the tomahawks of the nearer drawingfoe. Sustained for the first hour by the hope that succor from Providencewould come, as the second hour wears on, that hope has died in theirhearts. Less than half of the original circle still survives and they arebleeding, exhausted and despairing. Their Captain lies dead on the field.Michael Pierce fell early in the fight. But to soldiers such as these it littlematters that the leader falls. They fight on, still keeping themselves inorder. In ordinary warfare the soldier when clearly overpowered may eitherretreat or surrender, and surrendering save his life. They could not retreat,and it was better to die than surrender. They came now do less executionupon the enemy and the infuriated savages are rushing upon them withuplifted tomahawk. Still the men of Plymouth stand in order and hold at bayfor yet a little longer the warriors of Canonchet. And with them to the endstand their faithful Indian allies. The effectiveness of the defense appearsby the great loss suffered by the Narragansett. Some of them takenprisoners a few days later confessed that one hundred and forty were killedbefore the loss of the Narragansett at above three hundred, but this isprobably an exaggeration.

At last when, as the tradition is, scarcely twenty of the colonialsmaintain their footing, they give over futile resistance and break and run,each man for him self. Nine of them are seized and made captive. One ofthe friendly Indians, Amos, fought until the colonials had ceased to fightand then by blacking his face with powder, as he saw Narragansett haddone, mingled with them and escaped. A few other of Capt. Pierces’ Indians


and fewer sill of the Englishmen, perhaps three of four, by artifice and goodfortune, managed to escape.

The Narragansett proceeded with their prisoners to the spot inCumberland now called “Nine Men’s Misery.” There, according to tradition,the captives were seated upon a rock, a fire lighted, and the war dancepreparatory to the torture was begun. The chronicles say that, differingamong themselves as to the mode of torture, the Indians dispatched theirprisoners with the tomahawk. But, of what happened at Nine Men’s Miserythere is no real evidence. The bodies of the prisoners were found and buriedby the English a little later, and a monumental pile of stones erected inhonor of the brave and unfortunate men…------------

After reading this segment from the text in the early 1900’s, itsafe to say that the author used a great deal of Whitney’s chronicles fromthe 1880’s for research. Much can be debated on this text about whatoccurred at Pierce’s Fight including the strategy taken, the number ofattacking Indians, and how long the fight lasted….

HOW LONG DID THR PIERCE FIGHT LAST? / HOW MANY INDIANS WERE THERE AT THE FIGHT?

A decent question that deserves a decent answer, the PierceFight holds much to talk about. To determine the overall outcome of theevent, one must ask them selves if the battle lasted as long as it did and ifthe enemy was in great numbers as references say. Many writers tell of thisordeal as being one of the darkest days in the King Philip War. Much of theearlier writings compare the dark outcome of Pierce’s men with the outcomeof the Narragansett people at the Great Swamp. This is a great example toshow the mentality of the one writing the history. These were two differentevents of the war. One was a battle while the other was a massacre. Still,both did have a similar bond. Many died, many unexpected and savagely.

Some historians compare the Pierce Fight to General Custer’sLast Stand. While these writers write of the event as one of honorable andnoble ends, the truth can be seen within the words of history. Muchoccurred on March 26 . Villages up north in Massachusetts were all attackedth

and much burned. The ordeals in Rehoboth and on the Blackstone, andRoger Williams being visited by the Narragansett, all roughly occurred onthe same day. Historians use this to their advantage when stating that theNarragansett were in great numbers that day when they ambushed Pierceand his company. I disagree.

Like General Custer, Pierce has been portrayed like a gentlemenwho fought the unbeatable odds. The glory of losing a great battle that nomere mortal could win. Like the Alamo, a small band of brave men held of a


giant attack of thousands of enemy soldiers. Over 600, 800, 1000Narragansett warriors surrounded Pierce and his men. I can’t see therebeing 600 warriors let alone over 1000. If this was true, then how couldPierce hold up for over 2 hours? Past writers also mention how Piercegloriously fought off the unworthy attackers for two long hours beforeeventually losing.

Another touch of fiction to the pages of history, I would surelyagree. Each man is said to have carried modern weapons (flintlocks) withthem at the fight. While others disagree, I will give history the benefit ofthe huge doubt. Still, once the flintlock was fired, each “soldier” had to takea minute to reload and to fire his weapon again. If the attacking enemy alsohad these weapons to their advantage, I see a giant overpowering elementon the Narragansett side whether or not they were 1000 strong or 200strong. In a rush, from all surrounding sides, how could 60-80 men holdback an offensive attack by an enemy 10 times greater in numbers? Theycouldn’t, only in fictional fairy tales where the Prince rescues the Princessfrom the fire-breathing dragon.

I believe that Pierce was attacked by, no more than 200Narragansett warriors. A fight 3-1, Pierce was early to fall in the fight. Oncehe fell, the company of men no longer had the leadership of a commander.Fuller, being younger and less experienced, fell back over in across the riveron the east side. It was there, where the other half of the 200 men boxedthe remaining men. It was an ordeal that lasted no longer than 30 minutes.Once they crossed the river, the men would have had to reassemble thechaotic remains into a fighting circle. If the enemy had the same styleweapons, they would have had the equal advantage of fighting from adistance where they could have gotten shots off with both flintlocks andarrows.

Let’s not forget that a handful of men survived. 2 men werefound days later alive as well as a group of friendly Indians. If they weresurrounded, by a circle of 1000 Indians they would not have been able toescape. Then again if there was just 200-300, a possible and successfulescape may have occurred. It also benefits that possibility that the 9 menwho would later be executed in Cumberland may have escaped through theattacking Indians and were later captured.

I can’t possible see the fight lasting 2 full hours. The pastwriters expect us to see the 800 Narragansett attackers as brutes whoslowly approached the 80 something man “stronghold.” Even if they werearmed with only tomahawks, are you saying 200 hidden Indians couldn’thave charged 80 something men into defeat? Sure, many of the attackingbunch would have been victims of the first gunshot from their enemiesflintlocks, but once they fired, that would leave them arms with another100+ Indians ready to attack in seconds. If this were the battle plan, the


fight would not have lasted 5 minutes let alone 2 hours. Let’s not forgetthat 2 hours of gunshots and battle cries could have been heard back inRehoboth or even Providence. Another group of fighters could have come totheir rescue in that much time. Let’s not forget our past history, to lose abattle that could not possible be one is glorious. To lose an even battle,show you to be the weaker and unworthy adversary. Pierce could have beenjust that at his ripe old age of sixty-five.

WHERE WAS CANOCHET DURING ALL THIS?

No one knows for sure. With what we have to research,Canonchet could have been in many places on March 26 . We know for ath

fact that Canonchet was found in the vicinity of Pawtucket / Cumberlanddays later because he was captured and later executed. With what manyhistorians have written, Canonchet may have been present at the PierceFight and / or at Nine Men’s Misery. Whether or not he was in theMassachusetts or Rhode Island area, much can be learned from RogerWilliams’ letter to his brother after he came in contact with a group ofNarragansett warriors. Like many historians after him, Williams was the firstto ask the question: Where is Canonchet?

It is important to many people where Canonchet was that daybecause he may have been the general who executed the strategy atPierce’s Fight. This would add to one’s belief of what happened that day.The following letter was edited in 1971by the Rhode Island HistoricalSociety and is available to purchase at the Roger Williams House located inProvidence, Rhode Island in the vicinity where Roger Williams’ originalhouse stood during the King Philip’s War. It not only mentions the questionof Canonchet’s whereabouts, but it talks of the attack on Providence and ofthe men in Rehoboth. (Much of the letter was rewritten in present form)-------------- A COPY OF A LETTEROF ROGER WILLIAMS

The LetterApril the 1 –76 (So Called)st

Dear Bro: by my Wife I wrote to you some particulars of theGoings of God at Rehoboth. I though fit to acquaint your dear self, & myDear Wife, and Children, & friends, with the goings of the Most High atProvidence, with whom he hath not dealt accordingly to our transgressions,nor as he hath dealt with many other Towns of our Countrymen in N.E.

All that were in forts Men, Women, and Children, were saved. H.Wright would trust God in his own House. There they killed him with his


own hammer. Elizabeth Sucklin was preparing to go from her own House toa fort but delayed they killed her. Lord sanctify this Example of not usingmeans but tempting God presumptuously & or Neglect, & delay, in theapplying of ourselves to them. Our Town is about three miles, at the oneend is a fort of Steven Hardings next Pawtuckqut, then Pardons, H. Brown,next to Rehoboth then Ann Harris, Thomas Field, Ann Earden on the otherside, Nat Waterman where I am: Tho: Almy Senr: R: Pray, J: Smith, at theMill who left his fort at the Indians coming so he lost fort, and house, andgoods, and mill, and corn and meat, his own and many others. ThomasHeartis junr., B: Herndens Senr,. Gre: Dexter, God by these barbarousHands hath burnt Pardons Houses, Wickendens, Sucklins, Robert Hawkins,J. Ashtons, T. Hopkins taken down by A: Har fort Lapham, my old and firstin this Bay, R. Scots, Austins, Throgmortens, J: Whipple Junr., J. WhippleSenr., Tho: Olney Junr., Ep: Olney, Jo: Brown, Christo: Smith, T. Arnolds,Wid: Bellean, J. Smith Mason, J. Jones, Sa: Whipple, on the other side J.field, T. Clem, J: Mattison, this morning we hear their Camp is betweenNotaquonckanit and Patuxet, and at this present we see smoke rise fromPawtuxet & from my daughter Mercies House in the woods…In the afternoonof this burning Day of Gods Anger, an Indian that knew Val (an Indianinterpreter) called from the other Side of the Mill Hill that they two mightspeak together peaceably without their guns, Val went gently towards thepoint of Land. Word was brought to me. I hasted out and came up to Val,and heard them ask fore me. Val said He is here. They then desired that wewould come to the point without Arms as they would do. The Town cried outto us not to venture. My Sons came crying after me. Wal went back. MyHeart to God and the Country forced me to go. They met without arms.

I asked who they were. They said Nahigonsets, & Cowwesest, &Wompanags, A Neepmucks, & Quinticoogs. I asked whither Philip amongstthem. They said no. I asked whither He was not in these parts. They saidno. I asked where he was. They said on this side Quniticut. I asked if theNahigonsit Sachem were amongst them. They said they were at theirHouses at Nahigonsit. I asked who commanded here. They said manyCaptains and Sachems, and Councils. I asked the Names of these present:They said Wesauamog and spake aloud and said I am Wesauamog. WhatCheere. This is my Ground, which you got from me. Then said Pawatuck,the old Queen council, I am Pawatuk and Suckamog Capt. Venners greatfriend. I asked if they were the Company that burned Rehoboth andSwansea. Since they owned it and that their numbers were about 1500, Iasked them where they were bound. They said to all the towns of Plymouth.They would stay about two days more with us. I asked them why theyassaulted us with burning and killing who ever were kind neighbors to themsaid I this House of mine eyes hath lodged kindly some thousands of youthese ten years. They answered that we were their enemies joined with


Massachusetts and Plymouth entertaining, assisting, and guiding of them &said we has entertained all Indians, being a thoroughfare town but neitherwere nor this Colony had acted hostile against them.

I told them they were all this while killing and burningthemselves who had forgot they were mankind, and ran about the Countrylike wolves tearing and devouring the Innocent and Peaceful. I told themthey had no regard for their wives, relations, ones, nor to God whom theyconfessed made them and all things. They confessed they were in astrange Way. We had forced them to it. That God was with them and hadforsaken us for they had so prospered in Killing and Burning us far beyondwhat we did against them. I answered it was false for they began with usand God had prospered us so that we had had driven the Wampanoogs withPhilip out of his Country and the Nahigonsiks out of their country, and hadhad destroyed multitudes of them in fighting and flying, in Hunger and Coldand that God would help us to consume them except they hearkened toCouncil. I told them they knew many times I had quenched fires betweenthe Bay and them, and Plymouth, and Quniticut and them.

And now I did not doubt to quench this and help to restoreQuietnes to the Land again. They heard & understood me quietly. Theydesired me to come over the River to them and debate matters at large. Itold them it was not fair without hostage to desire it. Suckamog A: Fennorsfriend asked where he was, I said at his garrison, shall I fetch him and Vall.They said yes and promised Cessation. I went: All ours diswaded me,affirming it was a plot to shoot us there. Yet I went till some came runningand affirmed that J: Laphams house in the way was full of Indians: I thenretreated yet held my self bound to go or send word of the reason of my notcoming with A: Fenor. Yet none would go or suffer me to go. At last I got tothe point again, and told them the truth and how since we parted divershouses were fired as J: Mattisons on that side and Ep: Olyns on this. Theysaid they had sent to all to be quiet but some would not stop. They prayedme to come over. I desired one of them to come over, saying they had beenburning all the dayon this side and were they afraid of an old unarmed Manin the same place. They desired me to open my cloak that they might see Ihad no gun. I did so. Then came one Nawham, Mr. R: Smiths, John WallMaker, an ingenious fellow and peaceable, then Mattalog a NipmunkSachem, then Cuttaquence a Qunniticutt Sachem a stout lustie brave fellowand I think the Chief in Command amongst them. We had much repetitionof the former particulars which were debated at the point. Nawwhun saidthat we broke articles and not they. He said they heartily endeavoured thesurrender of the prisioners. They were abroad in hunting at home. Theywere divided and could not affect it. He said you have driven us out of ourown country and then pursued us to our great misery and your own, and weare forced to live upon you. I told them there were ways and peace. They


asked how: I told them if their Sachems would propound something andcause a cessation I would presently write by two of theirs to Boston. I toldthem planting time was coming for them and us.

Cuttaqueen said they cared not for planting these ten years theywould live upon us and dear. He said God was with them for at Quawbaugand Quoneticut we had killed no fighting men but wounded some but theyhad killed of us scores, and hundreds, and bid me a go look upon threescores and five now unburied at Blackstones. I told them they confessedthey were almost 2000 and might well over run half a hundred but howmany killed they at Warwick when 22 of ours fought with all your “burners.”

I said they were a cowardly people & got nothing of ours but bycheating. Our houses, our cattle, and ourselves by ambushes and swamps,and great advantages, and told them they durst not come near our forts.We entered theirs, and if Providence men would yield to me we would visitthem with a hundred out of by midnight. Cuttaqueen said we will meet youan hundred to an hundred tomorrow upon a plain. I said it was not anhundred to an hundred except we had army nigh aequivalent, but I toldthem they should find many thousands would be on them and King Charles:would spend ten thousand before he would lose this country. I again offeredmy services in a way of peace. Cuttaqueen said a month hence after wehave been on Plymuth side: I them God would stop them or plague themhereafter except they repented of these their robberies and murders. Weparted and they were so civil that they called after me and bid me not gonear the burned houses for there might be Indians might mischief me, butgo by the Water Side. My dear brother & friends, the Most High offers tohumble us more & make us more heavenly seeing our burnt walls. Sure youmust prepare forts for Women and Children at Newport and on the Island orit will be shortly wars with you than us.

Your Unworthy,R.W.

Relacon of a discourse between Mr. Roger Williams & some Indians 1676--------------

Leaving out a bulk of the letter, above, is a primary source fromWilliams’s letter of the events that took place days before at Rehoboth andat Pierce’s Fight. Canonchets whereabouts was asked and somewhatanswered. It adds more to this unsolved secret that it adds moreimportance to it than it really should. While the letters missing words, muchof Williams’ character, the state of early Providence, the relationshipbetween the Indians and the Indians between the tribes, the letter doesmention some interesting details about the motives from both peoples and


the history of the two.Much occurred on March 26 . Besides Pierce’s defeat and theth

event of Nine Men’s Misery, several other villagers and towns in theMassachusetts Bay Colony were attacked and burned during this day.Another minor but very significant event is said to have occurred during thePierce Fight as well. William Blackstone’s home sat on the area near thePawtucket and present day Blackstone River. A mile mark in the 1600’s wasthe only landmark in the wild and untamed region, it also holds a lot ofsignificant value on both the colonials and the Narragansett nation.

Blackstone had died the year before; he was not present for thePierce Fight. Then again, his home did. His home sat like it had the yearbefore in the vicinity of Many Holes. The colonials of Rehoboth knew of thishome as the last safe haven in the region, while the Narragansett knew of itfor another. Blackstone was one of the first settlers in the region. AlongsideRoger Williams, he too was one of the first colonials to neighbor with theIndians in a peaceful manner. Blackstone was somewhat of an outcast asmuch as Roger Williams was. However, like Williams, Blackstone was aneducated man and had many knowledgeable assets in his possessions.

Records show that Blackstone owned and printed many books,dictionaries, reference logs, maps, and other useful bits of information athis residence in the present day Pawtucket area. To a Sachem, theserecords of knowledge would seem most useful in wartime. The books alonewere scarce in 1676 as it was the maps and documents of the region weremore than assets. If Canonchet knew of this library that Blackstone had, hewould be most interested in acquiring them. Few records show thatBlackstone’s home was burnt to the ground during the time of Pierce’sMassacre. If Canonchet was in the vicinity at the time, I place my bet thathe was present for the burning of Blackstone’s home during the Pierce Fighton the same day.


DEACON WALKER POEM

Deacon Walker’s contribution to history is listed below. In thisamazing poem, Walker identifies with a colonist during the King Philip War.His words used in the poem are as amazing as they are unique. They showthe reader the style one wrote in and the meaning behind the words theyused. Much that is written below is strongly used in such as passion formany reasons. Surviving the attack on Rehoboth and being among the menof Pierce’s company the day they left the Circle of the Green was only halfof Walker’s involvement in the war. Among the men in Pierce’s band, a manby the name of John Walker was among the listed soldiers. Many believethat Deacon Walker was strongly connected to Pierce’s Battle because JohnWalker was a relative. A possible distant cousin from the Massachusetts BayColony, Walker lost a member of his family that day on March 26 . 1676.th

While his memory is gone with the past generations that knew of him, hiswords are as present as ever. They remain to be read by the readers oftoday and the ones of tomorrow.

--------------- Complete Poem of Deacon WalkerCaptain Michael Pierce – 1 line of decentMartha Stuart Helligo /Richard Bowen Early Rehoboth Volume III

CAPTAIN PIERCE AND HIS CORAGIOUS COMPANY

It fell unlucky that this march who’s sooner then this appointed time-To that meroner in they pirating thou Lackst thos muskittersAnd his Experience haynd amongst buccaneers

Which are a Ruged Cru of hunting rouersMuch Like these Sauag Sneaking Britsh grovers

But man Euents cannot at all forceIt is the eternal Gods proprietiesFor was decreed by y Eternal powerThey gave them being to fix fatal power

That orders men & times & ends & allEfittiant Cases EpidemicallNot as the old philosophers believe


Prodigious planets I Efectts do give

They did like Hectters who well deserve their nameNewly entered in the bed of frameWho lost their Blud not much unlike to marterBy disadvantage with these hellish Tarters

In fighting for the Country & there friends Have done their dooea mad head there final endsMe thinks there vallou should out harts provokeTo take revenge for such a dreadful stroke

Stought harts stood too til last disdaynd to flySuch odds has mad the Rooges er since mor shyWho have no cas to brag of victory

But give it out they never so were banged I hope in time they all be shot or hanged

Tis sad at York there is a scarlet dyerIf to be a riddle antiant fame a liarIt may be feared we hudwinkt in a tranceAs was out virgin Queen by Imps from France.

For matters ffraue as it y Dragon bestsWere hither flone to make his hellish nessWith open jaes Intending to devourThe child of grade Lord god upon him Shour

The Vials of the wrath appear for thineLet all the poor of heaven & earth combineLet hell know it is Curbed by poor devin.

Show now thy self Lord in our habitationsWho have so Scatterdly disposed our Stations& give us courage and providence from theefor there’s no other help or place to flee

Let shops & crops & men of all estatesSet heart & hand to fight without debateFor none there now can think there safe securedHow er Suplyd within our own ImurdImprove the utmost depending creatures can


Leave the success to him y rule each man.

Though what here spoke is but a single notion And like a drop let fall into the oceanYet my advice if I might hear byTi to make a vertu of necessity

Army & Incorig our Indians who we CanA thief reverse may prove an honest man.The Boston Islanders Cape Cod MohegansFor honor profit small they fight winnegon

If with their help god give to us SuccessWe may to them engage & not transgressThey shall be regain of their nation hereWill them defend if any else appear

For their a proverb not beyond belief Employ a wily roag to catch a thiefThe Cas becas in good & bad there sympathy As Country cases caes antipothee

If this be done they might, with great discretionY the Command & staff be in our nationBy such a prudent political contrivance We may expect the varmints first contrivance

Call forth our Burgers let them now go outSuch as are many wise discrett & stoutFor tis a shame the hythen Cananit (Canochet)Should know some people are in such a fright

That law nor reason neither Courage canPrevail to face a hythen brutish manIts known there now none can be safe secured How er supplied within our own Imurd

Words good turn out as they by threat to hold usFor daily news and every voice do call usWhere garrisons are man leave two or three near townLet all the rest go fight the enemy

For prudent Surgons spread there elf quit round


According to the greatness of the woundGod only knows to what this war portendsFelt most by the lost of our dearest friends

These murthros Rooges like wild Arabians theyLurk hear & there of everything make prey All lives estates in Cruill wise they takeThroughout the country dreadful havoc make

So by degrees a Lingring death we dieIf we don’t study how to be as slyI our surprisals to find them in there nestEfforts all advantages with enemies is best

Doubtless the best efforts all our soldiersThat hunt these wolves to march a nights to seeWhere they Pirado in there RandevosAnd so slaughter them with our pouder new

In some new fighter artiliris never showsThat way is best y bangs them with most blows& all the Indians living near Improvedwe are concerned & mightily beehoved

There wives & children as hostages retainThat men may faithfully be y case remainEfforts tis there Alys give to us this troubleTherefore there obligations more then double

Who can’t but judge who fancy melancholyWon’t deal to fools according to their follyNo stone unturned no stratagem they leaveLike Hellish saters both us & our bereaved

Off all our comforts in this present worldTo ffyer and sword our carkases are hurldAfter abused to savage beasts a prayThey do & will do this from day to day

This very just to do the best we canTo you all men by sword or poisoned dreamTo send such souls to there own place more fitIf god success & say amen to it:


For there’s no sister of the musis nineWith Ovids pen nether Tertulas wittNo Homer in his Trojan was defineA Cruel act so as these Rooges act it

The innocent will now offend beTo her reprod for the IndulganceSo much declared to brutes so like the devilWhich charity itself would count an evil

And this that have has pure & zelos endsMust rest content with labor for the painsWhere ends were reall to cas blind souls to seeThere benefactors shall rewarded bee

By him the knows and searches hearts and trisceThe hole creation & It’s Secricye

SEEKONK OR REHOBOTH?

Half the historians write that Pierce and his company fought agathering of Indians on Saturday before resting at the garrison that night.The next day, Pierce left the “Ring of the Green” in Rehoboth early thatSabbath to the area known as Many Holes. The other half agree with thefirst part of the trials that Pierce and his men went through on Saturday.They disagree with the second half on where they left on Sunday morningto the Blackstone riverbanks.

Whitney mentioned the compete listing of towns and villagesthat made up Ancient Rehoboth, Old Rehoboth, and present day Rehoboth.While most of Northern Rhode Island and parts of SoutheasternMassachusetts made up Rehoboth, the area would not be spilt up intoseparate towns and cities, and later into two states for years to come. Somehistorians write that Pierce left early that Sabbath from present daySeekonk. If this is true, Pierce would have left present day Seekonk,Massachusetts instead or Rumford, Rhode Island which is located in presentday East Providence.

I believe that Pierce spent the night at the Newman Garrison(Noah Newman’s garrison/ lodgings) located in present day Rhode Island.Being in close vicinity with Reverend Newman and a few miles from presentday Central Falls, it would have seen very plausible. The Indian scouts couldhave watched Pierce and his company march miles away toward thelocation where they would later be attacked.

Visiting Rumford, Rhode Island, you will notice the Newman


Church next to the Newman cemetery. This cemetery is home to the oldestgravestone in Rhode Island. One of the first settlers in Old Rehoboth wasburied here. Over 300 years later, more and more settlers in the area havebeen laid to rest on these grounds. Out of respect, the Church (who manypeople believe was the exact location of the original garrison) was namedafter its first Reverend. This adds to the belief that Pierce was guest in thisarea the night before the Sabbath.

THE GRAVE ROBBERY!

Once Edmunds buried these miserable men in the commongrave together, it ended the story of these men for over 100 years. Thestory was passed on to one listener to another with only story of the event.Once Edmunds and his men left, I am sure they never returned to payrespect to the nine fallen. The area was considered hostile territory andremained untouched for many years until it was made available far after thewar for farmland. It wasn’t until the end of the America’s RevolutionaryWar, that the story was given another chapter to add.----------------- PROVIDENCE JOURNALJames Whitney

“When the Whipple estate was in the hands of Mr. Whipple’sfather-in-law. Elisha Waterman, Esq. a strange incident occurred in relationto the nine men’s grave. It was either during, or shortly after theRevolutionary War. Some Providence gentlemen, led, it is said, by Dr.Bowen, went up to the place and dug open the grave. They had alreadystretched three of the skeletons upon the ground ere they were discovered.When the Cumberland people found out what was going on, a hue and crybeing raised, and the farmers assembling from all the region round, thecessation of the robbery was compelled, the disinterment being regarded asa first-class outrage. It is not said whether the affair took place at night, bythe light of lanterns in the windy forests, but the story is true as it is told,and well illustrates the peculiar place the tradition has in the minds of theCumberland people. One fact was settled by the disinterment, and that wasthe identity of the men themselves who were buried. One of the skeletonsdug up was of extraordinary size, and by the fact of it’s having a double setof teeth, was recognized as that of Benjamin Bucklin (Buckland), ofRehoboth. It is assured thus that the men were from other colonies thanthat of Providence.”------------------

Eric Shultz would later mention this event in his chapter on NineMen’s Misery in one of the more recent books on the King Philip War. It


does justice that this gloomy event is mentioned to better tell the story ofthe 9 men’s identity.

Before this happened, only legends backed up the story that theevent ever happened. Dr. Bowen was just one of many who wanted to provethe stories truth. Unlike Daggett, who would write the first historicalaccount of the event many years later, Bowen needed a harder source. Hewanted to see the nine dead and to see the history alive before him. He gothis wish as the story rose from the dead.

As far as records hold up, Dr. Bowen could have been Dr.William Corlis Bowen who graduated from Brown University in 1803 as achemistry physician. He received his degree in 1807 and later died in 1815.He was the only Doctor in the Rhode Island area who with the name Bowenthat could have fit the description with our other Dr. Bowen. The accountsof Whitney state: That the grave robbery occurred sometime during orsometime after the Great War with the British. If this is true, then therobbery occurred sometime between the 1770’s and 1830’s. Since Daggettwrote his findings in 1834 and mentions the events, they had to occurbefore his writings.---------------- History of AttleboroughJohn DaggettPage 115

“…I have seen no notice of this in history, but as to the mainfact there can be no doubt. The bones of these men were disinterred (notmany years ago) by some physician for anatomical purposes, and werefound nearly perfect. But the people in the vicinity insisted upon their beingrestored, which was accordingly done. One of the slain was ascertained tobe a Bucklin, of Rehoboth, from the remarkable circumstances of a set ofdouble front teeth, which he was known to possess. ------------------

“….The fact that the medical students, from curiosity or to verifythe tradition, or other motives, did visit the spot and exhume the bodies,and prove their identity by that of Benjamin Bucklin (or Buckland), ofRehoboth, from his unusually large frame and “double set of teeth allaround,” has also been substantiated. What is still more remarkable thanthe discovery of the letter, the author met a physician soon after thepublication of this history, in 1834, who took pains to state that he had readthe account of “Nine Men’s Misery,” and was able to testify that it wassubstantially correct, as he was one of the “medical gentlemen” present,and aided in the exhumation and finally examined the bones. Having thisstatement directly from his own mouth, it is personal knowledge of theevent, so far as this fact shows.


-------------- Dr. William Bowen died in 1815 making Daggett’s reports of it

happening many years ago true if it did occur during the early 1800’s. All inall, the event proves many facts to the story. The vicinity of the event tookplace in the current location on the old Monastery grounds and disputes thefact that it occurred miles further south near Hunting Hill. -------------- History of Rehoboth Page 198Bliss

“Mr. Daggett visited the spot a century and a half after, talkedwith the people then living in the neighborhood, and wrote the story. Hedescribes the spot and the heap of memorial stones piled upon the grave.This must have been about 1830. Mr. Daggett in his manuscript told of thedis-interment and about the skull of Bucklin with double teeth, which wasthen exhumed. These teeth filled the jaws: there were no “single” teeth…In1866 I myself visited the spot and saw it exactly as John Daggett describedit: but it is all gone now, having been moved north not less than a mile.Legends and locations are migratory.-----------------

According to Bliss, Daggett visited the site in the 1830’s andsaw the site, which had been moved? Possibly, once the bones were dug upby Bowen and reburied, the farmers reburied the bones in a neutral locationoff the farm land area or near a better location where the remains couldhave been taken care of. I don’t see this as true because of lack of historicalrecords. Very confusing, the timeline makes no sense if the bones and thefieldstones that covered them moved 1 mile away from its originaldwellings. Bliss mentions that Daggett wrote that he visited the site that nolonger exists? This is the only account that the bones were removed fromits original vicinity, which I disagree it has ever moved.

Having been near the house of Elisha Waterman Esq., thatwould put the burial site south no more than 1 mile in distance, where, itdoes stand today. Once the land became available farmland, it waspurchased and became the Waterman farm. Other farmers worked the landin the area including the Whitman’s and the very own Charles Sprague whotoo, lived in the vicinity and knew of its location near his lands.

Besides the dispute on the location of the burial, the identity ofBucklin became a fact. For the past 150 years, the Bucklin was considered 1of the possible dead at Nine Men’s Misery because he left that day on the26 of March and never returned. It wasn’t until the discovery from theth

grave robbery that Bucklin was truly one of the nine at Nine Men’s Misery.


WHERE ARE THE DEAD MEN’S BONES?

One of the questions I searched to answer was the locality ofthe buried remains of the nine unfortunate men. This was a struggle initself after reading several statewide and local surveying of the Cumberlandwoods. Once the cairn was built by the Cistercian order in 1928, historyaccepted the fact that the present day cairn is the exact location where theoriginal pile of rocks sat for hundreds of years. Still, with the redevelopmentof the land when the Monastery was built in the early 20 century, talk ofth

the moving and removing of the surrounded lands came into questioning. The present day cairn (2002) sits on the edge of the inner

woods peninsula that is bordered by the daily dying swamp that once madeup the Indian camp known by the early settlers as Camp Swamp.Surrounding the camp on its northern end is the development of residentialstreets that branch off of Diamond Hill Road. From the South and West ofthe swamp surrounds two hay fields that were used throughout the fiftyyears of the Monastery community as the hay fields that the monks workedon as their farm. What is left of the hay fields can still be seen as you enterthe base of the swamp island’s peninsula as you enter the woods, using theMonastery (Cumberland library) street that loops around the backend of theruins of the Monastery. Even the remaining roots of the apple orchard androse bushes that stood on the opposite side of the Monastery can be seendying away by the newly blossomed library garden that covers the onceburial place of the deceased monks.

From the current library grounds, it is a good 400 / 500 yardwalk from the end of the street to the base of the cairn. For the present daywalk, and a walk in 1928, the distance is almost equal. For a local site seerto walk from the Monastery entrance to the plaque of the cairn is the samestretched distance. One account of the moving of the piled rocks is that itwas original in one of the two hay fields. I disagree with this. The onlyexplanation of the bones being buried in one of two hay field locations isthat the earth below is soft and could be dug into. Still, the situation athand by the men who found the remains of the nine dead would not havecarried the remains across the swamp to bury them in fresh, soft, earth.

By visiting the site today, you can notice the defense of thesurrounding swamp. If an Indian camp were to be built in the vicinity of theswamp, the peninsula would have been used as their main base and center.From three sides, the swamp would be used as a wall from any invadingparties. Taking close looks at the area of the grounds, you will notice that aplant, an herbal Narragansett plant still grows out there today. It has beenover 325 years since this plant was planted and nurtured in the forest oftheir once winter camp up north, and the proud plant still grows todaythroughout the grounds of the peninsula camp. This presence of this


Narragansett herb proves two things. That the Indians of Rhode Island onceused this area as a camp to live, and that the tribe did not inhabit outsidethe swampy shield of the camp.

The vicinity of the original burial spot of the nine dead men islocated somewhere in the peninsula borders. Now, to erect a historical sitethat the locals could visit, you’d expect it to be in a reasonable area wheresightseers wouldn’t have to walk far distances to pay homage. Wrong. Ifthis was to be true, that Father Benedict would have built the cairn near thebase of the peninsula and not the far end where its base reaches a point.This would save the average sightseer a 200 / 300 yard walk to see thecairn. Instead, the cairn is located deeper into the woods far from anycivilization or work areas of the monks. This adds to my assumption thatthe current location of the cairn is the exact location where CaptainEdmunds and his men found the remaining nine men and buried them in acommon grave.

There are in fact two sites to see when visiting Nine Men’sMisery. There is the cairn with the present day plaque from 1928 and thegiant triangle rock that sits in the center of the camp. By looking at the rockfrom a distance, you can see its greatness. Having it be in the center oftheir camp is no mistake. If a Sachem had to make a speech in front of themen, it would be done from here. If a “Pow Wow” or a major event wouldtake place, it would have been done here. If the 9 men were to be torturedon display, it would have been done here on this rock. The location of thecairn is located near by while other areas where the bodies may have beentaken to bury are far from the location.

References mention that the bodies were found by the Englishand buried in a common grave “seventy yards northeast of the rock.” Thepresent day cairn is around 300 some feet away from the triangle like rockthat sits in the center of “Camp Swamp.”

Visiting the site, you will also notice that the cairn sits on top ofa hill and not in the gully of the lower section of the peninsula. BeingEdmunds, far from his station in Providence and in hostile lands with hismen, he was not about to carry nine dead men, whether they were intact ordisembodied, Edmunds was not going to make haste and dig into solid rockin the lower ground but into fresh, soft dirt on top of the hill. This reason,and the moral reason that the hilltop of the swamp was the highest pointand the nearest to heaven, that the remains of the men were buried there.


WHERE DO THE DEAD MEN’S BONES REST?

While the vicinity is one issue of the men’s whereabouts, theirwooden coffin that holds their remains is another. Where exactly near thecairn is the coffin located. Since 1928, the site has seen many un-welcomedguests who have caused great deal of damage to the cairn and its location.While local campers only litter and set campfires while they spend thenight, others visit the area to merely vandalize the site. Norm Beauregard,who grew up in the Cumberland area can recall days during his childhoodwhen he would visit the site in the late 50’s and early 60’s and see the cairntotally demolished into a broken pile of rocks and brick like logs of cement.In the later years in the 70’s and 80’s, several newspaper reports show thecairn once again being rebuilt with new cement and then once again beingvandalized with sledgehammers and other tools to see if they can find ahidden coffin inside the cairn.------------------- KING PHILIP’S WAREric ShultzPage 281-282

….remains of the men killed at Nine Men’s Misery were dug upand given to the Rhode Island Historical Society. During the 1976bicentennial celebration, after the land had been turned over to the town ofCumberland for its use, the bones were reburied at their original site.-----------------

Researching Shultz’ passage to see if it’s factual, and if so, whenand where did all this take place and who was involved. Knowing the storyof the grave robbery in the later 1700’s / early 1800’s, history tells us thatthe bones were reburied at the site shortly after. This is all the history thatis told of the event and the site until John Daggett’s research on the Historyof Attleboro in the 1830’s and then the James Whitney journals in the1880’s. It wouldn’t be till the turn of the century that historians like Blissands others began mentioning the event. Also, the site didn’t have its majortransformation until 1928 when Father Benedict restored the cairn as itstands today.

After reading every primary and secondary written sources thatI could find, I went to the only other source I could look into. Dave Balfour,a local historian of the town of Cumberland for many years served as theonly link between what the current legends had to offer compared to thelegends from hundred of years ago. Ask a question and you get a questionback in return. That is what happens 99% of the time when looking forclues. After questioning every historian in the community and surroundingcommunities, I had no other choice but to return to the “Mecca” of Rhode


Island history, the Rhode Island Historical Society’s library on Hope Streetin Providence. It was there where I was once again sent out to anotherlocation.

Alongside the library on Hope Street is the John Brown House onBenefit Street in Providence. The John Brown house was once home to, yes,John Brown who settled in Providence long before Benefit Street was knownas Back Street. Later, the home was given as a gift to the state of RhodeIsland and made into a museum. It was here where I was to find a majorcontroversy in the Nine Men’s Misery story.---------------- page 1

The Rhode Island Historical Society Museum of Rhode Island History at Aldrich House110 Benevolent Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02906Telephone (401) 331-8575

April 4, 1986

Dear Kathy;

The answer on the box of bones is as follows:

The monks dug up the remains when they took over the property. You can’thave unconsecrated bones on church property. They were given to theHistorical Society for safe keeping. In 1976, at the same time that we werereturning Native American remains to Eric Thomas and the Narragansett, wepassed the box along to Steven Adams who was connected with theBicentennial and the Cumberland Historical Society. The Rhode IslandHistorical Society helped them erect the monument and rebury the remainsin the monument.

Thanks for asking the question it will go in our files too before memoriesfade again.

Thanks,Nina Zannieri, Curator---------------

This was one of only three articles the John Brown House hadon Nine Men’s Misery. According to the letter, a woman named Kathy whono longer works for the Historical Department had questions about themonument, which a Nina Zannieri knew the answers to. My first job was tocontact Nina who, like Kathy, no longer worked for the Rhode Island


historical department. When I contacted her by phone, she was working inBoston at a “Paul Revere House.” More importantly, she doesn’t recallanything from the letter than she wrote almost 15 years ago and anythingdealing with it. All my questions were left unanswered.

Backing up for a second for history’s sake, according to thisletter, the bones of the nine dead were once again dug up from its sitesomewhere between 1900-1950 when the Monastery was present inCumberland. The only hardcore account of this is only present in the letterfrom Nina to Kathy. No other historical reference mentions this. Accordingto the powers of Rhode Island, the monks wanted the bones off the “holy”property because they were “non-Catholics.” You could imagine the surpriseon Father Laurence’s face when I read him the letter over the phone.According to Father Laurence, whom I consider a primary source, who livedat the Cumberland Monastery before its destruction in 1950, and currentlyremains a monk with his brothers in Spencer, Massachusetts, that thereason of the removal of the bones on the part of the Rhode IslandHistorical Society is a lie. Nothing more.

According to Father Laurence, once the cairn was built in 1928,more than many of the locals now knew of the cairn’s whereabouts andbrought more and more sight seers to the location. It took less than anotherten years until the site began to see annual destruction and vandals. Thebones were excavated to a safer location to avoid its destruction. The boneswere dug up and shipped to the John Brown House where they were keptuntil 1977.-------------- page 2

The Rhode Island Historical SocietyAt John Brown House, Built 1786 / 52 Power St., Providence, R.I.02906Library 121 Hope Street (401) 331-0448 / telephone (401) 331-8575Nathanael Greene papers 110 Benevolent Street (401) 421-7448

Received of the Rhode Island Historical Society:

The Contents of the excavation of “Nine Men’s Misery”.

Mr. Adams __Stephen Adams_____________ date April 18, 1977

For the RIHS __G. B. Brennan (Miss Peg.)_ date April 18, 1977--------------- page 3


No. Class.

Country: US State: RIObject: Box of skulls, etc. from Date:

“Nine Men’s Misery”Material: bone

H. various W (or L) D (or seat H)Desc. a box containing the skulls and bones from an excavationof the site of Nine Men’s Misery near Cumberland.

Cond. Hist. & Pub. During the King Philip’s War, Sachem ofthe Narragansett ambushed a company led by Captain Pierce in the vicinityof Cumberland and tortured 9 men.

Value DateDonor

--------------------- There is so much to discuss of the three portions of information

that the John Brown had to offer me. It was an amazement and nothingmore. I still cannot believe, today, how many errors and lack of informationthere was. For starters, the main dispute on why the bones were excavated.Two sides with two different stories is the only thing that holds true.Whether the written word of fifteen years is wrong, or the telling of an 80year-old monk who lived in the vicinity is lying.

“The box was passed onto Stephen Adams.” Who is StephenAdams? For starters he writes his name on the receipt as Stephen and isdocumented as Stephen, and far worse, no one who currently works at theHope Street library or the John Brown House recalls who Stephen Adams is?According to the papers, he worked with the Bicentennial. Making severalcalls to locals involved in the 1976-1977 celebrations, no one has everheard of him. This completes another dead end in finding out whereStephen Adams delivered the box of remains and where he and other buriedthe bones. It also adds to the anger of many history buffs who can’t findanswers because of simple stupidity on the parts of others.

On page 3 is a copy of the file card that holds the facts of whatthe box contained. When the box was given to the John Brown house forsafe keeping, this is all that remains that lists the facts about the box ofmaterial. Looking at the top right corner, you will notice that the file cardhas no original date on it. When was the box given from the Monastery tothe John Brown House? Who ever was doing the file work that day forgot to


put in a date, of all things! Leaving us to guess when in the 50-year reign ofthe Monastery, they gave the bones to the Rhode Island Historical Society.

It also goes on by not describing the height and weight of thebox and the exact amount of remains that the box holds. No value, nodonor, and once again no date. We do not know who delivered the box orwho accepted. In today’s world, you can’t catch a fish, own a dog, or pick updry cleaning without filling out simple receipt to show who owns what andwhere things are going. An interesting side note to bring up in my findingsof this paper work is the whereabouts of other historical figures. Two of theoldest and most recognized men in Rhode Island history are Roger Williamsand William Blackstone. Both men lived and died in Rhode Island and wereoriginally buried in common graves. For the past 300 years, their remainshave been dug up, removed, reburied, removed again, somewhat storedaway, and even partially cremated.

Today, the final whereabouts of both men are unknown.Blackstone is believed to be across the street of the old Ann & Hope wherethe marker lies. The truth be known is that the marker is present but nothis remains. As I write this, the old factory building of Ann & Hope id beingcleaned out for future businesses. I believe that one of the many woodenboxes that are being craned out and opened with wonder will be an unlistedbox of bones that belonged to William Blackstone. When the building wasbuilt during the turn of the century, the burial spot of Blackstone wasmoved. Or was it? We know that marker was moved because it now standsacross the street. Then again, another marker still stands under an old oaktree where the burial site once stood. Also, there is talk that like theexcavation of Nine Men’s Misery, the bones of Blackstone were too dug upand stored away somewhere safe where future generation will forget itswhereabouts.

The same goes for Roger Williams who was buried on his ownlands by his house in Providence. Which was later dug up, moved, reburied,excavated again. Some believe that he is still buried by where his houseonce stood in Providence. Others say he is buried under the statue thatpays homage to him up high on the hill overlooking downtown Providence.Then again, others account of him being cremated and placed in a cemeteryurn at the North Burial Ground. For these questions, I will not answerbecause I have already grieved over the whereabouts of the nine dead andpossibly missing.

So where exactly is the wooden casket of remains buried? Idon’t know for sure. During the intense investigation, I had reached a pointwhere I asked for a local psychic by the name of Kathleen Schleimer to joinme one day at the site to see what she could see of the event and thelocality. What she saw that day was amazing to both me, and its story.


WHAT DID THE PSYCHIC SEE?

Her name was Kathleen Schleimer, a local Rhode Islander whoowns her own business in Thayer Street in the Brown University campus inProvidence. Spiritual none-the-less, she is what many people would call aPsychic. A fortuneteller, card reader, whatever, it was worth a shot to gether two cents. A simple conversation about my research and thedocumentary followed with more questions of interest. Days later, we bothfound ourselves visiting the site to see if we could answer some of thesequestions that I could not answer.

She had taken to the story of the event. In her past work,Kathleen had been fascinated and had done much study on soldiers whohad perished in prior wars in the country. As a young girl, she recalled anevent that would change her life. I don’t recall much of the story, only thatwhen she was little and ready to go to bed, she saw a man, dressed in anold colonial soldiers uniform with his musket held by his side. I guess youwould say it was a ghost or a spirit of a man who was once a soldier in theRevolutionary War. Since then, she has had a connection with the past andpeople of it.

You could have imagined my interest in getting her involvedwith Nine Men’s Misery. I was hoping to get her out at the site in hopes ofher seeing something or coming in contact with something. Walking fromthe car to the locality of the site, I couldn’t shut up. I needed to tell hereverything I knew of the event and the story. By the time I finished, wearrived at the base of the camp. It was there, where I began to see things Inever saw before. Kathleen began to point out objects that had been therefor hundreds of years that I innocently walked by many times.

A tree hung over the edge of the center hill overlooking thesurrounding swamp. At the base of the tree, a chunk of the tree was carvedout to make a seat. Looking carefully, I could make out a “shrine like” seat.Looking over the swamp, the sitter of this seat had a perfect view of anypersons coming or going from the camp. We walked on towards the cairn asKathleen spotted an herb growing from the earth. It was a Narragansettherb that had been planted through the area of the camp. Although it hadbeen planted there over 300 years ago, it still grows today.

The wonders in my mind grew as I began to picture the sitewhen it, once was ruled by the original inhabitants. I took so much interestin imagining the site that I didn’t notice Kathleen by the front of the cairn.She had taken rest at the front walk that sat in front of the cairn. Sittinglike an Indian with her legs crossed into her lap. She was silent, and forthat reason, I too was silent. Knowing it was my place I walked off into thecorners of the woods in search of more of what I had never saw before. Iwasn’t gone long for I couldn’t wait to see what Kathleen had to tell me


when I returned. I made my way to the center triangular rock that sits inthe center of the camp to see if it is really triangular. It is! Standing on thetop of this rock in the very center, you will notice looking down that therock had 2 narrow corners and one corner that make an acute point. Funny,the pointy end to this rock (the rock said to have been the final rock theNine men laid their backs to) pointed into the direction of the cairn. I keptmy distance until I saw Kathleen had risen from her rest to touch the cairnwith the tips of her fingers. I rushed over to get my story.

“The title has great significance, Nine Men’s Misery. Much ofwhat I can feel is great misery,” said Kathleen. She began to tell what shesaw. A group of men, with their arms tied behind their backs being heldtogether in a tight circle as Indians circled and watched on. The nine mensat in fear, as many of them knew what was to happen with them.

I took a seat on a wineglass shape rock that posedwonderfully as a seat. All my attention was drawn to Kathleen’s story. Shewent on by simply telling me of the men’s death. They were killed in ahorrible fashion. She added more horror as she told me among the menwere a father and son. A child, no more then 15-years-old was among theNine. It was a site of pure misery. Even the circumstances that she saw ofboth sides were horrific. The nine men who had become the sacrifice all feltthe same about the Narragansett who had taken them prisoners. Simply,they hated them. They hated their people. For reasons of this and fear oftheir safety, they set out that day with Pierce to kill them. Many of thesemen went out that morning and took up arms to protect their families froman attack. Kathleen went on to say that the misery lay on both sides of theknife. While the Nine men were in misery because of their situation, theNarragansett were too, in misery. To the men who had taken part in theexecution, they felt the same way the Nine men felt. They saw the Englishas the enemy and went out to kill them to protect their well-being. They toofeared an attack from the English and therefore attacked the Englishthemselves.

Then again, Kathleen also saw the misery in the eyes of theelders in the tribe. They knew that this was not the end of the war. Theysaw much more of the English coming. They knew that part of this was outof revenge for their lost loved ones at the Great Swamp. Still, the eldersknew that much was to follow from this ordeal. Kathleen went on by seeingthe next day after the slaying of the nine. The next morning, the remains ofthe nine men were left upon the rock, while the entire camp was missing.The very next day, the tribe left. The elders knew that if they stayed, thebrothers of the nine would return out of revenge. The misery continued asthe tribe once again packed up their belongings and marched out of theirhomes to safety.

During my investigation, one of the questions I tried so hard to


answer was finding the identity of all nine men. With that, I asked Kathleenif she could identify any of the nine men. It was very blurry, but she couldnot see who they were. The men had no color to them, whether they werewhite, black, or red this she could not see. She saw the fright in them, themisery, and their place. When it came to their presence, Kathleen could notsense them. However, she did see one thing that caught me so off guard itwasn’t even funny. In the middle of describing the father and son amongthe nine men, Kathleen stopped as she saw something. Take it as you will,but Kathleen saw yours truly, the author of this investigation, among themen that day! She wasn’t specific about who I was, whether I was amongthe nine or one of the Narragansett of the tribe, all she knew was I wasthere that day in 1676. A mouthful, yes, those words still haunt me to apoint. I don’t know the significance or even the possibility of this, butamong the rest of what she said it was memorable.

I feared this to be true of the whereabouts of the wooden boxin which the remains of the nine men were held. References describe thebox as a wooden 2ft. by 3ft. box with 9 skulls and a gathering of bones. Iasked Kathleen if she could feel the presence of the box. She could not. Shefeared that the bones may not be in the area near the cairn. I feared this tobe true myself as there had been a great number of vandals since the boneswere reburied at the site in 1977. I feared there was either another graverobbery or that the bones were never reburied to begin with.

While we discussed the vicinity of the bones, I remained sittingon the wineglass shaped rock that sat on the left side of the cairn. While itmade no difference to me then, I recently visited the site back in March of2002 where I spent the day cleaning the area around the cairn. Brushingleaves off the cairn and plaque, I also took it upon myself to remove aseries of heavy fieldstones from the front of the cairn. From where theplaque sits, a number of stones were placed in front of the plaque to forman oval base. Looking at recent pictures, the stones had been there since1993. Who placed these rocks here is unknown. These stones had beenplaced there from the rock wall that sat to the right side of the cairn, whichmade up a land divider from the lots of land off of Diamond Hill Rd. Theserocks sat in a line from the early days of civilization when our forefathersplaced them there by hand to divide the territory for the local farmers.Without permission from the town of Cumberland, I removed these stonesfrom the front cairn and returned them back to the rock wall.

While doing this I noticed something strange about thewineglass shaped rock that I had sat on while I spoke with Kathleen. Therock was in fact 2 different rocks, one sitting on top of the other. Thestrange thing about this is that the rocks were cemented together. Why?Other pictures of the cairn, taken prior 1977 do not have these two rockspresent. The area to the left of the cairn is completely empty. It is possible


that the rock I sat on is posing as an unknown grave marker. What otherreason would there be two rocks cemented together out in the middle of thewoods? I have no evidence to back up my claim that the bones were buriedunder this marker. Still, It does add up to something interesting andsomething to further research.

The day ended as Kathleen and I went our separate ways. Whatshe gave to the investigation was priceless. Her accounts were asfascinating as anything Leonard Bliss or John Daggett wrote on the story.Was it true? Was what she had seen a vision from the other side? Theghostly haunts of the nine dead men? Was it just a story she made up justto entertain my needs? Maybe, sometimes fiction is more real and moreloved than the facts. Sometimes we want to believe and sometimes wehave to believe.

HISTORY OF THE LOCATION / MONASTERY / & ITS COMMUNITY

The Narragansett people made the land their homes for manyyears. Without any historical references from any writers, it is safe, andproud to say that they lived on these lands for thousands of years. The areaknown as Camp Swamp is located in the woods of Cumberland, RhodeIsland. Located today on town property, the forest is separated by DiamondHill Rd on the east and Mendon Rd. on the west. With the recentconstruction of the I-295, the forest has been cut into half as it borders thenorthern part of the present woods. . Since 1972, the town of Cumberlandhas owned the land and has developed the former grounds into an elderlyhome, daycare, a library, etc. The Camp is located on the property onceowned by the Cistercian Monastery.

In 1888, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence purchasedthe land from the wealthy farm owner who owned the lands for over thepast 200 years. History tells of the Waterman and the Whitman family whoowned much of the lands in the area since the time the land was apart ofOld Rehoboth. In the time of James Whitney, the land was owned by one ofthe two families who made the land a wooded area of its farmland. TheCistercian is a Catholic Order of Monks that originated from France manyyears ago. From there, the monastery established their early Americansettlement in Nova Scotia in 1825. Receiving the lands that year, a smallgroup of Monks began to build their monastery at the Lady of the Valley inthe town of Cumberland, Rhode Island.

By this time, the pile of stones still remained untouched in thevicinity of the Monastery’s grounds. There they sat until a Monk by thename of Father Benedict Barr’e came upon the site and paid homage. Noone knows for sure, but it was around the year 1928 when Father Benedictwas either called upon or had asked to rebuild the pile of stones into


something more dignified for the state of Rhode Island. Father Benedict wasa trained mason. Being of this talent, he was either asked or chosen tocement the pile of fieldstones into a solid structure. The First World War hadended as American began to rebuild and start the promising century. It wasin this time, that much of the historical landmarks and sites that you seetoday were erected as historical points of interest by the historical societies. Nine Men’s Misery was no exception.------------- THE PROVIDENCE JOURNALNovember 13 . 1928th

Exercises are held under the direction of the Rhode IslandHistorical Society on the grounds of the Cistercian Monks. At the upper leftClaude R. Branch (with head uncovered) is delivering his address asPresident of the Historical Society. Directly in front of him is Hon. CharlesD. Kimball, who called the meeting to order, while at the extreme right ofthe picture, resting his arm on the cairn, is Addison P. Munroe, VicePresident of the Society. At the upper right, Rev. Fr. Augustine of theCistercian Monks is pictured delivering his address. The lower picture showsa part of the crowd of nearly 300, which attended the affair.

(Put in 3 newspaper pictures)

MEMORIAL HONORS INDIANS’ VICTIMS

Tablet Unveiled at site of “Nine Men’s Misery” near CumberlandMonastery.

Historic Tragedy Depicted Addison P. Munroe conducts exercises at R.I. Historical Society’s

Marker

Among the many services held yesterday to commemorate thevalor of men who fell on the field of battle was an observance by the RhodeIsland Historical Society in Cumberland at the graves of the nine men whodied in arms more than 200 years ago.

On March 26, 1676, nine soldiers from the Plymouth colonymade the supreme sacrifice before a band of Indians who held themcaptive. Yesterday at the site where the men were buried near the TrappistMonastery in Cumberland land, a tablet was unveiled with the impressiveceremony.

Addison P. Munroe, vice president of the Rhode Island HistoricalSociety, retold the story of ‘Nine Men’s Misery,” detailing how the soldiers,


as prisoners of the Narragansett Chieftain Canonchet, fell before thetomahawks of the red men and were buried under a cairn of stones.

Brown-robed brothers from the monastery, members of theRhode Island Historical Society, and other Rhode Islanders interested in thehistory of their native State attended the observance.

Kimball PresidesDeclaring that the tablet is only one of many, which the society

is placing to mark spots significant in the history of the State, Claude R.Branch, President, welcomed the guests and opened the ceremonies, whichwere presided over by Charles D. Kimball.

Rev. Augustine O.C.S.O. of the monastery upon whose land thecairn stands, welcomed the society on behalf of the Trappist brothers.

Recalling the massacre of the nine men as the worst inAmerican history with the single exception of the shambles as the Little BigHorn when Custer and his men were the victims of the Sioux in 1876. Mr.Munroe told how the Narragansett, recovering from the Great Swamp fight,had again taken the warpath and was raiding towns in the Massachusettsand Plymouth colonies.

The colonists, thoroughly alarmed, sent out a band of soldiersand friendly Indians, 80 in all, under the command of Capt. Michael Piercewho trailed the Narragansett to Rehoboth. On Sunday morning, March 26,the white men advanced toward Quidsnicket where Canonochet and a largenumber of Indians were encamped. A messenger was dispatched to theProvidence colony for aid.

The Pierce party eventually arrived at Pawtucket, in a localityformerly known as Attleboro Gore.

Pierce AmbushedAcross the river could be seen several Indians, evidently

wounded in the engagement of the preceding day. The colonists formed aring and withstood the Indian attack for some time. One by one, they werekilled. One white man escaped through the subterfuge of having one of thefriendly Indians pursue him and the Narragansett, believing that thiscolonist, would be caught by his pursuer, allowed the pair to disappear intothe woods.

Finally, nine men remained and they were taken captive.“And now the scene changes,” Mr. Munroe said. “We go to a

spot a few miles north of the site of Pierce’s fight in the town ofCumberland, where is now located the Cistercian or Trappist Monastery withits immense preserves of 500 acres of field and forest. Proceeding a littlewest if north, about a half-mile from the monastery building, we come to alittle knoll in the forest.”


Brutally Killed“Peaceful and beautiful as it is, this location is known as Nine

Men’s Misery. The nine men captured in Pierce’s fight were brought to thisplace by their savage captors and brutally put to death on the edge of theswamp that has long since been converted into the lake by the brothers ofthe monastery.

According to tradition: the captives were seated upon a rock, afire lighted, and a war dance preparatory to the torture was begun. Thechroniclers say that because of quarreling among the Indians as to the formof torture, the prisoners were finally dispatched by the tomahawk. Let ussincerely hope the chroniclers were right and that these brave men escapedthe fiendish tortures usually inflicted by the Indians of their capture. Thebodies of the slain were later found by the English and properly buried ontop of the mound referred to and a monumental pile of stones erected overtheir common grave.” The cairn has many times suffered the ravages ofhunters, Mr. Munroe said, but he pointed out that the stones have been forthe most part undisturbed in recent years because of the monastery’s strictrule against trespassing.

The tablet, which Mr. Munroe unveiled, stands near the cairn ofstones. It reads:

NINE MEN’S MISERY ON THIS SPOT WHERE THEY WERE SLAIN BY THE INDIANS WERE BURIED THE NINE SOLDIERS CAPTURED IN PIERCE’S FIGHT MARCH 26, 1676

Of the messenger, which Capt. Pierce sent to Providence Colonybefore the fight, Mr. Munroe said that there are two stories. One has it thatupon arrival in Providence on that Sabbath morning, he attended divineservice before seeking aid for the desperate band of colonists.

The other is that he arrived in Providence after divine servicehad started and, not wishing to interrupt, waited at the door of the meetinghouse until late in the day, acquainting the Providence men with the needof his comrades at the conclusion of the lengthy service.

Reinforcements from Providence might have changed theoutcome of the battle, which occasioned the erection of another tabletcommemoration for posterity high deeds in the history of Rhode Island.

______________


Yes, one can read the article in many ways. The pictures aloneat the cairn, that day in 1928, tell a story in itself. I see the pride in manyof the elder faces that attended the event. I see the honor and respect frommany of the monks who stood by and watched the honors given to thenewly-erected site. More importantly, I see the faces of the front row ofchildren. Dressed in their casual attire for their day, their thin ties, vestjackets and kiddy-styled hats says it all. This was a different time. I see thefuture in these faces, most (safe to say) are no longer among us. They aregone. Even these children who were in attendance, how many do you thinkwent off to Europe themselves as soldiers to fight in the Second World War?

Years later, another young man would approach the cairn in hiswonder and add another chapter in the Nine Men’s story. Just beginning hisyouth like so many in the picture, he would not become a soldier himself formany years later.------------------ CUMBERLAND / LINCOLN TIMESApril 2 . 1992nd

Page 6By Henry Metz(Add picture)

SCOUT MARKS TRAIL OF NINE MEN’S MISERY-Ryan Billington cited for Eagle work project-

CUMBERLAND- Nine Men’s Misery Trail on the grounds of TheMonastery is America’s oldest veterans’ memorial—a fact little-known to theaverage visitor there.

But now—thanks to the efforts of 14-year-old Ryan Billington—we candispense with our ignorance. Billington has written a short history of thetrail…what’s more, Billington has marked the trail with a series of markersleading in and out of the historic pathway… As the descriptive brochure thatBillington wrote—available at the Hayden Public Library….------------- NINE MEN’S MISERY(Picture of Brochure)

The N.M.M. brochure was designed to be used in conjunctionwith a walk to the historic Nine Men’s Misery Site. To begin, walk to theNorthern Rhode Island Collaborative School, in the lower field behind theLibrary, follow the green arrows in and the red out.-------------

I see the picture of the forest and how it looked back manyyears ago. Has it changed much? Very much so, it has changed as thepeople in the area have changed. Years of progress and growth have


changed the demographics of the community since the times of Whitney’swalk into the shallow and gloomy forests of Whipple’s farm.(Show maps of Diamond Hill Rd)------------- Saint Joseph’s Abbey / A Brief History Our Lady of the Valley 1900-1950Pages 26-39(Add in pictures)

“He Who Dwells In The Shelter Of The Most High And Abides InThe Shade Of The Almighty Says To The Lord My Refuge, My Stronghold, MyGod In Whom I Trust.” Psalm 90

“The community’s ‘modern’ history has been no less eventful;indeed, our very survival provides a living commentary on St. Paul’squestion, ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom. 8:31)

By the end of the last century, with the community’s buildingsand morale in disrepair, it was clear that Petit Clairvaux needed to move ifit was to have any hope of achieving permanence. But Divine Providencewas watching and once again the Order came to the rescue. Consequentlyin 1899, Father John Mary Murphy petitioned the General Chapter of theOrder to move the monastery from eastern Nova Scotia to the Diocese ofProvidence, Rhode Island.

The small community, accompanied by their livestock, arrived inNew England in the summer of 1900, and regular monastic life wasresumed on August 2. Their new home was a tract of some three hundredstony acres in Lonsdale, Cumberland Township, and the monastery wascalled Our Lady of the Valley since it was situated in Rhode Island’sBlackstone Valley.

…In 1948 there were one hundred thirty-seven monks in theRhode Island monastery…On March 21, 1950, the Feast of Saint Benedict,the monks were reminded once again the ways of God are not our ways.The abbey was ravaged by fire, and the devastation was virtually complete.The original wing was destroyed; the church was rendered structurallyunsound and had to be demolished; and the Chapter wing needed extensiverepairs. Once again, the community, numbering 140 persons was homeless.

…The 1950 fire merely accelerated the community’s projectedmove…On December 23, 1950, eighty monks took possession of SaintJoseph’s Abbey, Spencer…”--------------

Like the times, the monastery has come and gone, while storiescontinue to be written on their days and the accomplishments of themonastery’s involvement in Cumberland. A year does not pass without


seeing a small newspaper article or segment about the monastery and itstall tales and legends…many true…others false.--------------- SENIOR CENTER PLAN EVOKED MEMORIESCatherine DiehlMay 13 1991th

Cumberland Times(Add picture)

Full of Memories—The Monastery building, which will soon house aCumberland Senior Center, is full of memories for some longtime arearesidents.

…In those days, going to ease away from a drinking problem,only people didn’t call it that, but called it “going on retreat.” Bing Crosbyused to come to the Monastery for that reason, in the 1940’s...A devastatingfire in 1950 destroyed a good portion of the building, and after that theCistercians moved to Spencer, Massachusetts. …They moved the coffins ofmonks who had been buried on the grounds, but they left the grave of aman who lived with them for years, but wasn’t a monk…Now, some peoplebelieve that he is the “friendly ghost” who lingers around the location.

Some people who have worked in this building have saidthey heard strange sounds…. Someone will talk of hearing heavy doors, butthen nobody will come in.…And people say they sometimes “just get afeeling” that a friendly ghost is nearby. It’s more likely to be the Monasteryguest than one of the nine men killed by Indians on the site in 1676…. TheCumberland Company for the Performing Arts has for several years held TheFaire on the grounds, as well as offering other entertainment eventsthroughout the years.-------------

Once I read the article, I had to make a local call up to Spencer,Ma at St. Joseph’s Abbey to ask Father Laurence if any of these storieswhere true. Having been among the brothers who called the Lady of theValley their home for the closing years in the 1940’s, Father Laurence wasmore than knowledgeable of what occurred under his nose as a fellow Monkat the monastery.

Alongside of Nine Men’s Misery, many locals will brag and tellthe stories of how Bing Crosby would attend the monastery on and offseveral times during his drinking problems in the 1940’s. According toFather Laurence, he says the story is a total fable.

“If Mr. Crosby was present….I didn’t see him!”, quotedLaurence.

Still, the Crosby story is still one many tell to on-goers and trail


seekers that visit the monastery. It has gotten as much attention as the“friendly ghost” of the monastery forest. Like the Crosby story, FatherLaurence sheds his opinion on this matter as well. --------------- A letter from Father Laurence to myself:

April 9, 2002

Dear Frank,

You inquired about a layman who was buried in the monks’ cemetery inCumberland and who, for some reason I cannot fathom, you associate with“the friendly ghost who haunts the old monastery.”

I have no recollection of having “identified” this “friendly ghost” or what Icould have told you to make the association with Mr. Daniel Cox who wasindeed buried, as I always thought, in the extreme southeast corner of theburial plot, quite apart from the monks and whose grave was marked by awhite marble monument slab.

I have taken the trouble to consult the Official Burial (or Removal) Permitissued when we transferred all the bodies to Spencer and I found thatDaniel Cox had died on March 8 , 1923.th

This immediately creates a problem. In 1923 the monastic cemetery waslocated immediately behind the 1902 building, which was completelydestroyed on March 21, 1950. When there was question of constructing theChapter / Infirmary Wing on 1931, this cemetery was moved to the locationwhere it was in 1950. The remains of the monks and, presumably, of all theothers buried in the primitive cemetery were laid in a common grave in thenortheast corner of the burial plot.

The second problem is: since Mr. Cox was presumably buried in his owngrave, with his own marble funeral monument, did the monks re-enterd himseparately and not in the common grave in the new cemetery? For somestrange reason I have always thought that this was the case. Otherwise,why would they have erected his monument apart from the other gravesand in the extreme south-east corner of the new cemetery/ Only on theLast Day will we know!

So, be very careful how you use this information and let me see your textbefore it is printed!


Yours faithfully in the Lord,Rev. Laurence Bourget, OCSO

P.S. “Where there is smoke there is fire” is an old saying that may beverified in the “Tales and Legends” still current about such things as a“friendly ghost” who supposedly still haunts the grounds.

---------------- Mr. Cox was not a homeless man who stayed with the Monks

but a hired gardener (layman) and carpenter who lived at the monastery formany years. The name of the man and his true identity is answered in theletter above. Being a long-standing employee of the monastery, he wasrespectfully laid to rest at the burial spot in the back of the monastery.Today, the garden area located on the southeast side of the monasterycovers the once (and now empty) burial ground of the Monks. If you take awalk in the center garden area where a square, garden wall is constructed,you will notice a flat stone marker in one of the sidewalls of the garden. Itrests on its back facing the sidewall of the simple garden in the back of themonastery. By looking at this marker, you can’t help but describe it as amarker of a grave. Without any hardcore evidence, I cannot say that thiswas the grave marker for Mr. Cox, or someone else. Then again, it is in thevicinity of where the bodies were buried, and adds to one of the manystories of the monastery history.

If you have the opportunity to visit St. Joseph’s Abbey inSpencer, Massachusetts, make sure you visit the burial grounds where themonks of the Abbey are laid to rest. In two lines, you will see a series ofwhite crosses standing at the foot of each of the monks who had been laidto rest since the early 1950’s. Although you will find these monks buried inthis section, you will not find any of the monks from the Land of the Valley.Instead, you will be able to find them buried together in a common graveon the opposite side of the burial grounds. Against the Abbey’s sidewall liesa good size crystal like rock. Pinkish in color, it holds the plaque alter thatlist the names of the monks who were buried at Cumberland and thenreburied to this spot from The Lady of the Valley. Along with the names ofthe monks it includes Mr. Daniel Cox who passed away on March 8 . 1923. th

On each side of the rock are two separate markers. One is thegrave marker for Dom John O’Connor, which rests on the left side of therock and Fr. Benedict Barre who rests on the right.

Dom John O’Connor LADY OF THE VALLEY Fr. Benedict Barr’eTitular Prior (Marker) Nov.18, 1868 - Jun.9,1948Feb.9, 1864 – Oct. 13, 1945


Back in the 1970’s, a team of Narragansett people fromsouthern Rhode Island successfully found 2 skulls that were buried in thevicinity of the Monastery and the former grounds of Camp Swamp. Historyalive, the area continues to hold history that can be found in our presentday.

A great fact that only Father Laurence knew was hidden fromthe current story and held out of every history book that tells of the event.Speaking with Father Laurence the day we filmed his interview for thedocumentary up in Spencer, we discussed the cairn that his friend, FatherBenedict, built in 1928. Who had helped him? How long did it take for himto build the cairn? And finally, why did he choose that design for the cairn?This was the greatest and most interesting question to ask. ---------------- History of Rehoboth Page 78

“Their bodies were found and buried by friends in one grave.The spot is in Cumberland, R.I., a short distance above Lonsdale, and ismarked by a rude pile of stones.”---------------

The account written in the History of Rehoboth is just one ofmany descriptions of the cairn that portray the cairn as “rude”, “simple”,and “crude.” The reason for this has never been answered until it was askedof Father Laurence. He knew the answer as if it wasn’t important.Generations have looked down upon the site as great as the condition of thecairn. Run down, out of shape, incoherent to any modern structure, the siteof Nine Men’s Misery has had its rough monument shunned as a raw lot andnothing else.

What Laurence knew that nobody did, was that Father Benedictnever completed the overall construction of the cairn! His original andsimple task was to cement the present fieldstones that covered the massgrave as a whole. His future plans for the site are forever unknown. Sealedaway in Benedict’s grave up at Spencer, MA.A tiny white lie that has never been mentioned to the reader, it is a simplestart in the right direction to answer many more questions that lie in theway.


WHO WERE THE NINE MEN?

Doing research, only two to four of the nine men are identified.Benjamin Bucklin (Buckland), John Read Jr., John Miller Jr., and John FitchJr. While many references say that all four men were among the nine, otherdocuments believe that only two were of the nine and the other two wereamong the many dead at Pierce’s Fight. What of the other five? From theoriginal log written by Reverend Newman to the most recent books on theKing Philip War, there is no mentioning of all nine identities.

Why is this? Could some members of the party of nine befriendly Indians? Did the Indians on the other side of the knife kill theirenemy brothers and left them to rot with the fellow white brothers becausethey sided with the enemy? Possibly. Many records mention that only ahandful of the friendly Cape Indians (11/20) returned to Rehoboth. If theydid not perish at Pierce’s Last Stand, they could have been among theunfortunate survivors who completed the nine. Like Robert Beers ifRehoboth, the only Irishman in the fledgling town was held lower thanothers in the high English population. Could some of the men been of Irishdecent and had no certificate of birth or citizenship of being apart of thecommunity? Maybe. There is also the possibility that the men left out of thehistory book could have been “Black” servants / slaves of some wealthyfarmers in the vicinity. It is also a possibility that members of the “Nine”could have been Quakers. The first Quaker settlers settled in New Englandin Boston in the 1630’s. A small handful of Quakers may have been presentin the Rehoboth lands as simple farmers who joined Pierce’s army that day.

A common fact of the early Quakers is that they werepeaceful with the Indian tribes of New England. Much can be said about thissimple truth. Then again, at the time of the war, many bands of Indianswere attacking villages and farms for survival. One of the reasons Piercewas sent by Plymouth was because of the ongoing attacks on houses in thecolony by unworldly Savages. Whether friendly with most tribes, earlyQuakers could have been victims of the present Indians. Of the servants ofthe surrounding plantations who worked the fields of their masters, andspent their nights to sleep at the lodging house or garrison there had nohigh place in society. Many were born and died with no written account oftheir existence. The majority of the nine men could have been namelessservants who went by a first name by the very least. It is a coincidence initself that three of the possible four of the nine have the first name Johnand are all juniors second to their fathers.

In research, I’ve come to believe that 4 of the documented 9were of the Rehoboth community. Knowing this fact, it seems possible, verytrue, that the other 5 were from Rehoboth as well. The nine could havebeen a scouting party or a separate regiment of fighters under Pierce who


that left Rehoboth to attack a more northern target while the main body ofmen arrived further south. According to Rehoboth records, only 4 men fromthe town died in March 26 . 1676. All slain, the only names mentioned wereth

the four listed above: Bucklin, Fitch, Miller, and Read. Still, this does notcount out the possibility that the remaining 5 had listing in Rehobothrecords of their birth.

The journey began in the town of Rehoboth, Massachusettsnortheast of Attleboro, Massachusetts to research the original records of theRehoboth settlement in the 1670’s As mentioned before, only four nameswere listed of men who were killed on March 26 . Still, from its earliestth

logs, a handful of people were listed as being born in Rehoboth but did nothave death records. This could prove one of two things. That this personwas born in the region of Rehoboth and then later moved out of thesettlement to another plantation like Plymouth or Boston and then died. Or,that an error was documented and that this person died without a recordbeing made.

For the second possibility, one of these unlisted could have methis maker on March 26 , but had no concrete evidence to prove this besidesth

popular opinion. In one of the many secondary books of records at the townhall in Rehoboth, MA, one book mentions a name of a man by the name ofJohn Titus Jr. being among the men who fought in the Narragansettcampaign in March of 1676. Why he was not mentioned in several otherhistory books is a mystery. John Titus was born in Rehoboth but there is nomention of his death / murder / slain in the town’s records. Other names ofRehoboth men are logged in such as Samuel Miller who was born in the1640’s along with Silas T. Allin and John Ide, but like Titus have no deathrecords. With further research a man named Samuel Millerd died in 1720but there is no record of his birth! Could it be a written error that SamuelMiller who was born in Rehoboth died as Samuel Millerd of Rehoboth?Otherwise, there are two different people and a possible addition to themiserable nine. The following are names found in Rehoboth records thatfought in the Narragansett campaign and are missing their records of death:

John Ide Jonathan Sabin (Saben) Silas T. Allin

John Carpenter Samuel Miller (Millerd) Samuel Palmer

John Titus Jr. Jonathan Wilmarth (Willmath)

In Memoriam, the town of Rehoboth’s 325 Anniversary (pageth

91) lists the Rehoboth Servicemen who have served (died) in everyAmerican and pre American war. For the King Philip War, 12 names or


Rehoboth men are mentioned.

King Philip War

1675 John Fitch, Jr. – Blackstone River Ambush1675 John Miller, Jr. –Blackstone River Ambush1675 Benjamin Buckland –Blackstone River Ambush 1675 John Read, Jr. –Blackstone River Ambush1676 Robert Beers –Defense of Rehoboth1677 Nehemiah Sabin –Defense of Rehoboth1675 William Hammond –Defense of Swansea –Scout1676 Nathaniel Woodcock -Attack on Woodcock Garrison1676 Nathaniel Wilmarth –Narragansett Expedition1676 James Redway -Narragansett Expedition 1676 Ensign Henry Smith –Narragansett Expedition1677 Jasell Perry –Narragansett Expedition

Much error is found on the Anniversary list that was publishedin 1968.For starters, the Blackstone River Ambush (Pierce’s Fight) occurredin 1676. The same is true for the Defense of Rehoboth, which occurred afew days later. It boggles my mind to think who dug up this falseinformation and from where. If not the names of the event, the year andthe left out information are very pathetic.

In conclusion, the identity of the total nine men, are still amystery. With the majority of information in shambles like the articleabove, the problem may never be solved. Still an unanswered question forothers to answer, the only positive addition to the mystery in my researchis a possible answer.

THE REHOBOTH DEATH / BURIAL RECORD PROBLEM

The original death records of the town of Rehoboth have beenkept in the town hall in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. Far from its originalsettlement, the area once known at the “Ring of the Town” is currently inRumford, Rhode Island that is said to be an area of East Providence, RhodeIsland. In a giant book, safely kept with plastic covers for each individualpage, the records are available for the average history buff to take a look atand explore.

If you are looking for the records of the common four, that isBucklin, Read, Fitch, and Miller, go right to the beginning of the book topage 1 – 54a. There you will find a record of 26 names of Rehoboth settlersdead on a single piece of paper. While the page before that holds moreburied in 1676 (10 more names), this page has what you are looking for.


Because the articles are so old, you will not be allowed to photocopy any ofthe pages in the records. As far as the records show, there were only 26+Rehoboth settlers lost (on both pages) in 1676. The names include:

BIRTHS / MARRIAGES / DEATHS1648-1739Town of Rehoboth

( half of page 1)Rachel Mann wife if Thom, Mann buried June

1676Thomas Mann buried J1u6n7e6Samp for Mafer buried 15 Sept. 1676(crossed out name) 1675(crossed out name) 1675Thomas Milmarth wife of Tho Milmarth buried

1676Jacob Hrmfly son of Jacob Hrmfly buried

1676Jacob Hrmfly buried 1 M1a6r7.6John Reds son of John Read buried 28 October

1676Martha Joe buried 3 Novembe1r676

Nath. Cooper buried 12 November1676

Nath Wilmarth buried 12 Novembe1r676Nath Wilmarth buried 23 Novembe1r676(page 2) (page 2)Ensign Hen. Smith buried 24 N1o6v7.6Lidia Titus “wife of John Titus buried 25 N1o6v7.6Nehemiah Saben slained and buried - June 1676Nathaniel (Nath) Peck buried 12 . A1u6g7.6th

Eliz Willett buried - July 1676Samuel Fuller buried 15 . A1u6g7.6th

John Fuller buried 23 Aug. 1676Peter Hunt buried 25 . Aug. 1676th

Morah Hunt buried 23 Aug. 1676Tabitha Hunt buried 14 . O1c6t.76th

Jasell Perry buried - Sept 1676Mehitaball Perry buried - Sept. 1676Sarah Fuller (wife of Robert Fuller) - 14 . O1c6t.76th

Jerimiah Fitch buried 15 . O1c6t.76th


John Fitch Jun. slained 26 March 1676John Read Jun. slained 26 March 1676Robert Boone slained 28 March

1676Experience Saben guned / buried 28 N1o6v7.6Sari Woodcock (Noah) (wife of John) Mar/May 20 1676th

Nath Woodcock slained May - 1676(-Samuel Newman (of Noah) buried Oct.7

1677)Eliz Smith (widow of Doug) - Feb. 1676Sary Leonard buried - F1e6b76James Redaway buried - Oct. 1676Benjamin Buckland slained 26 of Marchth

1676John Miller Jun. slained 26 of March 1676th

Samuel Newman’s name and information was crossed out and then addedon the next page over. By looking at his year, he died the next year. Forthis reason, and for allowing him to have his records next to his otherfamily members, he was moved.

By looking at the order of the 26 listed dead, it’s hard to seewhy they were placed in this order. By a timeline, the dates are scatteredfrom winter, to summer, to fall, and then back to winter, and fall again. Outof the 26, one error was made with Samuel Newman’s records for he is theonly burial that took place in 1677.

Several historical references use the layout of the death recordsto prove that John Fitch Jr. and John Read Jr. were not among the nine atNine Men’s Misery. --------------- History of Attleborough


John Daggett

“The question arises –Who were the nine? And when were theyslain? and what was the cause/ This also is solved. There were four menfrom Rehoboth killed in Pierce’s Fight, and their names are recorded on therecords kept for the Rehoboth North Purchase, as ‘Slaine 26 March 1676.”Two of them, John Fitch Jr., and John Read Jr., were entered first and atsome distance on the page were entered the other two, Benjamin Bucklandand John Miller Jr., thus proving that they were a part of Pierces’ men andwere slain on the same day of the of the battle. This confirms my belief thatafter the battle was lost these nine survivors attempted to escape andretreated to this “Camp Swamp,” in hopes of concealing themselves therefrom the enemy, but were discovered, pursued, and overtaken by them,surrounded at this rock, and there killed.”------------------ History of Rehoboth Leonard BlissPage 95

“In the town record of deaths and burials, the names of fourindividuals are recorded, as “slain on the 26 . of March 1676,” viz: Johnth

Reed Jr., John Fitch Jr., Benjamin Buckland, and John Miller Jr. Between thefirst two of these names and the last two are inserted the names of sevenother persons, bearing a later date; which leads me to infer that John ReadJr. and John Fitch Jr., were found with the main body of the slain of Pierces’army, and that Benjamin Buckland and John Miller Jr. were at a later periodthan the other two.”------------------

Just by looking at the names, you can tell that it is odd howMiller’s and Bucklin’s names were put down last on the page. Lookingcloser, you will notice that both names appear to be written last. How is thisso? Go back a few pages at previous birth, marriage, and death records. Youwill notice that the individual who wrote the names down in the ledger hadfancy handwriting. Most of the letters “N’s” “M’s” and “S’s” are written in afancy manner. Then look at Millers and Bucklin’s names. Not only will youfind them to be written in half the size as the other names on the page andthe page before it, but, you will notice the penmanship and the color of theink used to write the names are different.

Different color ink? All the names on the page before and afterpage 1-54a and all the names on the page except for Bucklin’s and Miller’sare in dark black ink. The other two names are written in dark brown ink.This reason alone, could prove that the names were written in later, butwhy? I believe it not to be of error but of ignorance. I feel Bucklin’s and


Miller’s name weren’t added to the Rehoboth dead until word wasannounced from the grave robbery that occurred in the late 1700’s. By thattime, their names might have been added to the same page so they wouldbe with the remaining two. A possibility that Read and Fitch were claimed dead by the people ofRehoboth, while Bucklin and Miller were believed to be apart of a scoutingparty, not with the main group of men with Pierce. Also, Buckland and Millerare written to have been “slained” on the “26 of March,” not 26, March liketh

the other two. The form of the date is written different proving two possiblereasons. 1, that a different person wrote Buckland’s and Miller’s name,and/or 2, that the 2 names were written at a different name much laterthan the others since the style of using 26 with the “th” weren’t customaryth

until many years later after the original writings.Now these facts don’t add or take away the possibility that these

men were or were not at the Pierce’s Fight. It just proves that these twonames were written later than it intended to be. Why? Who the hell knows!All I know is that most of the 26 names on the page are randomly placedthroughout the list. I believe that these papers were not the first originaldocuments that were kept in the early town of Rehoboth. Maybe written fiveto ten year later, these records were rewritten and placed in an orderlyfashion. Like many of the early historical cemeteries around New England,they never forged one single cemetery in an area for all the town’s peopleto be buried. In some towns and cities in Rhode Island there are over 20 to20 small historical cemeteries. In the town of Cumberland alone, there areover 20 historical cemeteries scattered around the town. Most of them onmiles apart from one another, like the records, they were scattered inseveral places. This edition may prove my case:---------------- THIRD GENERATIONwww.bucklinsociety.net/Web_WB_1606/d78.htm Benjamin Bucklin: was born on 2 July 1640 in Hingham, MA. He waschristened on 2 July 1640 in Higham, MA. He appointed in 1659 inRehoboth, MA- Trooper. He moved in 1675 to Rehoboth. Bristol, MA. Hecontributed in 1676 King Philip’s War. He died on 26 March 1676 in NineMen’s Misery fight. He is recorded on 7 Feb. 1688/89 in Rehoboth, MA. Hisland obtained in Attleboro, MA. He was buried in Nine Men’s Misery fightsite. Cumberland, RI. He has reference number 88. Benjamin was atBraintree. Mass for a period of time and was in Rehoboth MA in 1675

Benjamin and his brother John, with other persons, formed a partnership todig a mine for silver in Rhode Island. John signed with an “X” but Benjaminsigned his name as ‘Bucklen’


-50 Hull, New England Historical and Genalogical Register, April 1989 pp135-136 Hull notes the Journal of Israel Loring at p2 for Hull’s source thatBenjamin was slain.-51 John C. Erhardt, Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony 1645-1692 pg. 479----------

Since the original writer was trying to organize the records asbest he could, he was unable to place the names in a timeline from thebeginning to the end of the year. Also, Bucklin’s last name is spelledBuckland with the “land” ending instead of the “lin” ending, making thename “English wrote.” Meaning, the document was not written after the late1700’s when the English language began to slowly change into what peoplecall today American. This may add to Bliss and Daggett’s belief that thenames were written at an early period in the 1600’s. Still, it does not provethat only two of the men were present at Pierce’s Fight that day.

If it were the original document, you would not have the oddtime frame of recorded deaths. That’s why Sair Leonard’s name was placedunder Newman’s because they were both buried in Feb. Newman’s namewas later taken out to the next page to be put with his family. LeavingLeonard’s name next to John Redaway who would die later in October.

Another interesting topic is the word ‘slained.’ It is spelledwrong for modern English, for its time, it is written correct. Still, the recordsshow that all four men were slain but not buried. If Read and Fitch werefound among the men at Pierce’s Fight, wouldn’t they have been buried withthe rest of the men? Maybe, but it brings up the notion of two things. One,if the men at Pierce’s Fight were honorably buried together or if they werepiled together and set on fire. No history book would ever mention thatthese glorious fighters were thrown in a common pile and set a blaze.Although if may be true, it wouldn’t be gentlemen-like. Then again, if theywere buried, why wouldn’t they mention it in the burial records that Readand Fitch were buried?

Also, Nine Men’s Misery has the unrecognized honor for beingthe first mass grave for early white settlers in America. If Pierce’s men wereburied together in a common grave, wouldn’t that make Nine Men’s Miserythe second mass grave of white settlers in America? And before youmention that Pierce’s men could have each been given a separate burial, Imust beg to differ with you. One of the reasons why Edmunds put the ninedead men into a common grave was because he had no time or patience tomake 9 separate graves. Let’s not forget, they were five miles north of thePierce Massacre and were not going to spend any wasted time in IndianTerritory to bury their dead. The same is true for the ones who found the50-60 dead at Pierce’s Fight. Like the scene at Camp Swamp, it must havebeen horrible. To light a torch would have been common and wellappreciated by the friendly English who had come upon the scene.


Then again, Bucklin and Miller’s body could have been foundoutside the vicinity of Pierce’s Fight and were carried to Camp Swamp to beburied with the remaining bunch to complete the nine. This is an acceptedtheory since many men to break through the lines to escape. Also, the pagebefore the list of 26 mentions the burial of Thomas Mann who survived theday with only a sore leg. He died later that year in June proving that he wasfrom Rehoboth. Having no birth certificate, he must have been born outsideRehoboth and later settled in the community.

THE 2 NEWMAN LETTER ND

Half of the stories you read on Pierce’s Fight and Nine Men’sMisery will mention the Newman letter than he wrote to Reverend JosephCotton on the following day. Then again, almost most if not all writtenaccounts of the story mention the second letter that Noah Newman wroteback to Cotton in Plymouth the next month after he had received a replyfrom Cotton on the first letter. The letter tells a great deal of what hadoccurred the days that followed March 26 . 1676.th

--------------- Volume IIRehoboth, Plymouth Colony1645-1692Dr. John G. ErhardtPage 348-349

Rev. Newman’s Letter of 19 April 1676

‘Reverend & Dear Sir,

This day I received yours of the 11 of this instant & am glad ofth

an opportunity by the same post that brought it to return you this answer;Thanks be to God we have yet the most of our lives given us as I praythough many of our habitations are desolate & in ashes, the loss of which isnot so much to be taken to heart by us as our sins which occasioned thesame, oh that we could truly humble ourselves under the mighty hand ofGod who Can & will exalt us in due time; I can’t but often reflect upon thepatience & long sufferance of our most merciful father who made ourenemies stay so long for their Commission to due us any harm, & had notour God seen it needful for us that, have never had to this day; & truly bythat disturbance & astonishment that I have seen in some men’s spiritssince the late trial I fully discover we had need of it, to convince us of oursecurity who were ready to think such things would not befall us, but whywe should promise out selves such immunity I know not, Nor why that


which our sins hath been so long parties of, & so visibly drawing on upon usso long a time should so much startle & astonish us…..I know not.

The burial of the slain took us 3 days the burden of it lying uponour town, the 3 . day we had some Dedham & Medfield that afforded theirrd

help therein, ye first day there was 17 English & 3 Indians buried, the 2 .nd

day that I might express my respect to Capt. Pierce and Leift. Fuller whodied so honorably, I went forth & that day we buried 18 English and oneIndian, and the 3 . day they buried 7 or 8 English and one Indian sincerd

search hath been made but no more Can be found I know not but somemight wander &* perish in these woods being strangers.------------

Day 1: 17 English 3 IndiansDay 2: 18 English 1 Indian (Including Pierce / Fuller)Day 3: 7/8 English 1 Indian

------------------------------ 42/43=52 5 Indians

Taking a good look at the numbers buried by Newman’s records,the total number comes out to be 42-43 Englishmen buried. On Newman’sfirst letter to Cotton, he states that there was 52 English who accompaniedPierce that Sunday morning. Out of the 52 names, 3 men would returnhome. Whether it was concluding the Pierce Fight or days later, historyproves that Thomas Mann returned home to Rehoboth as well as JohnMatthews and Sam Linnet returned home. Since Newman never mentionedof their return in his second letter to Cotton (not including Thomas Mannwho was mentioned of returning in the 1 letter), its possible that Matthewsst

and Linnet did not return to Rehoboth until days later after this letter waswritten on April 19 .th

If this is the case, Newman believes that 51 of his 52 men onthe list perished at Pierce’s Fight. Adding the numbers given by him and hisvolunteers that helped in the burial, Newman laid to rest 17 on this 1 . day,st

18 on the 2 . day, and 7-8 on the 3 . day. Adding the number dead andnd rd

buried to 42/43. This leaves out 9/10 Englishmen missing from the fightthat were never buried and documented by Newman. Where are the other9/10 men? Nine Men’s Misery? Possibly, this brings into major considerationthe identity of the nine men who rest in a common grave. If these bodieswere never accounted for on Newman’s letter, it sits as a major steppingstone in finding the name of the nine men. Still holding into account themany missing Cape Indians in the fight, Newman’s 2 letter states thatnd

there are enough missing soldiers to fill in the remaining 9 unknowns. Also, it is hard to swallow the fact that Rehoboth men buried

their friendly Indians alongside their English dead. For starters, they were


still considered savages by many of the colonists. Friendly or not, their skincolor was darker than their own and consider not of their rank. Facts arefacts, even 300 years ago. Would many of these Rehoboth settlers burythese men next to their dead love ones knowing that it was their friendlyIndian’s own brothers who killed their dead fathers and sons? Alongsidethat, how could the ones doing the burial determine what dead Indians werefriendly and ones that were attackers of the Narragansett? This is a toughquestion to answer, because, who are we to determine what the Rehobothvolunteers thought and saw when they were respecting their dead. TheFriendly Ones could have been dressed in a different fashion, than again,they could have been dressed in a similar fashion like the Narragansettwere than day.

Also, on the final 3 day of burials, Newman uses the wordrd

“they” instead of “we.” This showing that Newman wasn’t present on thethird day and can’t give a solid answer to how many people in Pierce’scompany were laid to rest. Newman also does not mention on what side ofthe river the men were buried. If doing so, Newman could have explained alittle on what could have occurred at Pierce’s Fight. If half the men wereburied on one side and the other half on the other, it would explain that themen in fact were ambushed on the west bank. Newman mentions that theyburied Pierce and Fuller on the second day. Without exact wording of this,Pierce and Fuller could have been found together on either side of the river.If they buried the dead on the east side on the first day, they might havecrossed the river to bury the other half of the men on the second. If thiswas the case, then it could have explained that Pierce and his men did crossthe river and met the Narragansett on the west side.

Possibly, he could have ordered his men to re-cross the river onthe east side where they were finally ambushed by the second party ofIndians. Without any hard evidence of this, Pierce and his men may have allbeen ambushed on the east side when only a small body of advanced mencrossed the river alone to Blackstone’s home.

THE JOHN READ PROBLEM

John Read Jr. was one of the 4 men said to have been: slain atwith Pierce’s Fight or at Nine Men’s Misery. Looking up information on Mr.Read Jr. will lead you to a tombstone at the Newman Cemetery in Rumford,Rhode Island. One of the oldest cemeteries in the state, it holds one of thefirst untouched buried settler in the Rhode Island and ProvidencePlantations. It also holds a tombstone but not a grave for John Read Jr. whowas born in 1640 and died (slain) on March 26 . 1676.th

I will save you the phone calls and chapters of reading. JohnRead Jr. is still considered to be buried somewhere with the other eight at


Camp Swamp. The Read family in the 1860’s decided to pay homage totheir fallen relative by adding his name to the family plot. Still, keepsearching throughout the elder gravestones around the family plots. Youwill not find one but three more tombstones with the name John Read. Oneof the John Reads died in 1676 but not in March, but on October 28 laterth

that year. We all know that John was a popular name for the time; the lastname Read was also popular. The Read family was very big in the earlyRehoboth days.

THE ABBOTT RUN LEGEND

Believe it or not, there is a 20 Century legend titled the Abbottth

Run Legend. It is a legend by far because it was a story told by localhistorians in the late 1980’s about why the land around the Monasterygrounds and the Nine Men’s Misery Massacre was named Abbott’s Run. Astory was started among local historians of a man named Abbott who wasthe missing 10 member of the separate regiment of men who completedth

the Nine Men’s in the Misery. The story goes that these 10 men were sent out by Captain

Pierce to attack the base of Camp Swamp. Arriving at the camp, they foundthemselves outmatched and overburdened. Looking like a lost cause, themen yelled to Abbott: “RUN ABBOTT RUN!” Abbott was the long lost 10th

member of the miserable bunch who escaped back to Rehoboth to tell thetale of his nine fallen brothers.

“Run Abbott Run” later was used in the local legends until theypaid respect to the surviving soldier by naming the valley outside theCumberland forest as Abbott Run. This story was last told at a monthlyHistorical meeting, back in the early 1990’s by a local Cumberland historianwho remains anonymous to this very day.---------------- RIGS NEWSLETTERLester Hilton

“Ten soldiers were dispatched to ambush a group of hostileIndians. Although the soldiers were themselves ambushed and tortured bythe Indians, 1 soldier escaped. “Run Abbott, Run!” This incident derived thename of a part of Cumberland known as Abbott Run.-----------------

According to another Cumberland historian, this story id full ofBUNK! This was just one of many tall tales that added to the enjoyment ofearly civilization in Rhode Island. Another story similar to this one is ofWilliam Blackstone’s faithful servant who worked the lands in the area. Hisname was Abbott and like the story above, the locals repaid his legacy with


respect by naming the farm he worked on after him.Then there is another story written in journals in the mid 1850’s

by an elderly woman who wrote down every story of interest she could find.A very simple and just story is that the land known as Abbott’s Run, wasonce owned by a farmer in the late 1790’s named Abbott. Hence the land isknown today as Abbott’s Run.

Another moment of pure and historical BUNK is a chapterwritten in a recent book in the early 1990’s called Along the Blackstonewhere a small article is written on both the Pierce Fight and the Nine Men’sMisery event. ---------------- ALONG THE BLACKSTONEPages 44-45(show pictures)

…A small group escaped and fled to their garrison, a few milesaway in Rehoboth (the present site in Rumford, Rhode Island). Nine soldiersretreated in the opposite direction and were pursued into Cumberland.March 26 was a Sunday morning. When the message of the attack reachedRehoboth, the entire community was attending church services and couldnot be immediately disturbed. By the time the reinforcements reached thearea, Pierce and his party of eight had been surrounded and massacred.Arriving too late to save them, all the soldiers could do was to bury Pierceand his men on the site and construct a stone cairn to mark their grave. ----------------

For starters, many people get confused about where themessenger was sent to get reinforcements for Pierce. Early Rhode Islandhistory shows that in 1676 there were not established churches in the stateuntil many years later. The first regular church services that were gatheredas a congregation began in early Rehoboth in the 1640’s. People use thisfact and the legend that the soldiers under Capt. Edmunds were at Churchservices as proof that Edmunds was present at Rehoboth when themessenger arrived. This is very false. Just because there was not a churchin Providence in 1676 doesn’t mean they did not hold church services. Also,why would Pierce send a messenger back to Rehoboth where he justdeparted from? Edmunds was stationed in Providence hence, the messengerwas sent in Providence.

The second segment of BUNK in this chapter is the members ofthe nine men of Nine Men’s Misery. Along the Blackstone states: that Piercewere among the nine and not found among the rest of his dead men atPierces’ Fight. Ok, if this is true, then the early Newman letter in April of1676 must have been lying when he writes that Pierce’s body was foundamong his company on the second day of burials. Then again, the accounts


of Pierce falling early in the battle must have been made up as well tosupport this re-telling of the story.

A final note to prove this story is fabricated to the teeth let’s notforget that Pierce was 65 years of age. Can you see Pierce fighting a(2hour?) battle and then running for his life for 4-5 miles north to be latercaptured and then executed? I sure can’t because it doesn’t hold up tocommon sense let alone realistic possibilities. This reference stands next tomany as (What Dave Balfour would call it) nothing but BUNK!

All and all, the story proves that sometimes fiction is moreinteresting and more excepted than the facts of the past. Many stories toldof the nine men mention a fleeing member who was able to escape or whowas let go by the Indians to return to their settlement. Many storytellersbelieve this to have happened because it would account for someone to tellthe story of what occurred. “Only one man survived the horrible ordeal totell about it.” Otherwise, how do we know what occurred unless someoneescaped to tell the tale? This is far from the truth and the nearest to fiction.Most importantly, the Abbott Run is proof that shows how a story being toldfor less than 20 years can wind up in the history books and considered aprimary source. One of the many reasons why, we as researchers have tolook between the words and the stories to find the truth. But in much ofhistory, we must look past the fables and find the simple truth.

HOW DID THE NINE MEN GET TO CAMP SWAMP?

Not knowing for certain who all nine men were, it is safe to saythat the nine men were either from the local lands outside or in Rehoboth ora member of Pierce’s “army.” If the four men from Rehoboth were allpresent at Camp Swamp that leaves the other five being of either Pierce’smen or from Rehoboth. This helps to prove their passage from point “A” totheir final destination, point “B” at the Indian Camp. --------------- PROVIDENCE JOURNAL PART 5James Whitney

There are three versions of the circumstances of this affair, and each placesit in dependence upon Pierces’ fate. One account says that the men were abold, or possibly a lost, portion of Pierces’ men, who advanced into thisunknown region and then suddenly found themselves surrounded. Placingtheir backs to the flat rocks, that has been shown, they fought for their livesuntil all were slain. The fault to be found with this version is that it isunlikely men would have subjected themselves to death where the onlyrock for them to put their backs grimly against were less than two cubitshigh.


Another version is that these men were coming from Providence to assistPierce in response to his message for help, said to have been sent toProvidence both early in the morning and during the progress of the fight.They were captured near where now stands the United States Flax Mill, atthe junction of the Boston and Worcester railroads, and having been takento the hill country, were put to the usual atrocious death. The objection tothis theory is that, it is an established fact that no call for help was made intime upon the people of Providence, no man being able to break throughthe lines of Indians which surrounded Pierce. The message sent in themorning is said to have been forgotten by the messenger in the excitementof a town meeting. It is also doubtful if the people of Providence would havefought against the Indians with the other colonists.

The remaining account is that the men were captured in “Pierce’s Fight,”and having been brought to the hills, were placed in the midst of theamphitheatre for torture. But a quarrel, which, arose resulted in the outrightmassacre of the prisoners. In this last version there is about all that can besaid of the affair with certainty. The death lost of Pierce’s men was so greatthat nine more men’s fate was in no degree remarkable at that time. Allthat can be said is that the men were engaged, like Pierce’s companions, infighting the Indians, and that they were put to death upon which now tell oftheir fate. There is a clean and undoubted chain of evidence that they diedthere and that they were likewise buried there.”-------------------

Unlike Whitney, I feel there is a great deal more that can besaid about the affair. The first version has merit that Pierce could have senta separate regiment of men higher north as scouts. Being that four of thenine men were definitely from Rehoboth, they were local men and wouldhave been familiar with the surrounding woods. They could have beenpursued and attacked and later carried to Camp Swamp where they wereslain by the Natives. The nine men could also have been a separateregiment coming from Rehoboth during the Pierce Fight. Many accounts saythe ordeal lasted almost 2 hours. While I hardly agree for this to hold anymerit, it does add to the fact of sound traveling. The multiple blasts fromthe flintlocks would have been heard miles from the ambush site. People ofRehoboth could have sent reinforcements after the first hour of fightingoccurred. The nine men could have arrived as a rescue party and in returnbecame the victims themselves.

Many present historians accept the version that the “nine” mayhave never been present at the Pierce Fight. A possible detached companyof scouts of soldiers or even a hastening to the relief of Pierces’ men. In thevicinity of the Pierce Fight location, the only known source of civilization ofan outside settlement was William Blackstone’s house that stood north on


the other side of the river bend. ----------------- Central Falls High School YearbookClass of 1974

“…Nine of the soldiers, in their escape attempt, had made forthe Reverend Blackstone house only to find it burned, Blackstone dead, anda party of Narragansett waiting for them. They were all captured and ledaway.

The objective of Pierce’s detachment had been to get to theIndian stronghold in Quinsniket. These nine men accomplished at least thatmuch, but under circumstances that, to say the least, were very differentfrom their personal preferences.-----------------

Funny, but the 1974 yearbook is the only reference thatsuspects that the nine men were a separate detachment of Pierce’s men.Also, that they escaped as a whole and fled for safety at WilliamBlackstone’s house, north of the ambush site. This story has great meritexcept for one tiny blunder in its history. Blackstone’s house was destroyedby the Narragansett that year, but, if the nine men were witnessed to thishorror, they would have been saved of seeing the Reverend Blackstonedead because he had already been dead for a solid year. Dying the winterbefore, the article makes the reader believe that Blackstone was anothervictim of the Indian’s offensive.

The Second version has more holes in it than any other version.If they were fighters from Providence, they would have met the main bodyof Indians in the Central Falls / Pawtucket area before making it anywherenear the Camp in Cumberland. If they were reserves of men answeringPierce’s letter, they would have been pursued after Pierce had beendefeated. This holds no merit since half the men were from Rehoboth andthat no help from Providence arrived till the next day.

The final version makes the most sense that the men werecaptured from the remaining force of Pierce’s men who gloriouslysurrendered on the battle field and were marched four / five miles up northto be executed. Still, much more is to be said of this version. The remainingmen could have surrendered, but knowing what would have happened, andknowing that many friendly Indians retreated alongside a small handful ofmen who made it safe to the Woodcock Garrison in present day NorthAttleboro, it is safe to say that many of these brave men ran for their livesin fear and were later captured by the large body of Savages.

Judging by the final number of Narragansett that ambushedPierce’s men, an escape of the remaining fighters could have broke throughthe Indian lines. It is factual that some of Pierce’s men survived the battle.


A handful of the Cape Indians were able to run through the lines and backto safety. One of the versions of the escape was that the remaining nine rannorth away from the pursuing Indians. I originally threw out this versionbecause the men were running for safety in the opposite direction theycame from. The fight took place in Central Falls, which sits east of the Circleof the Green in Rehoboth. They marched north by northwest to the bend inthe Pawtucket River. A retreat back to their settlement would have takenthem South by Southeast.

Then again, in the chaos of the fight, anyway out would havebeen accepted. From there, an attempt to circle around to make a safepassage back to Rehoboth could have been executed. The Blackstone homecould have been the only choice for a safe haven away from the attackingIndians. And since survivors made it to the Woodcock Garrison, which laynorth by northwest from the ambush site, Blackstone’s house, too, wouldhave been on the way toward the safe passage back to a settlement.--- ------------------- Flintlock & Tomahawk Page 167

“Their situation was hopeless, and soon there was no sound inthe forest except the groans of the dying and the victory yells of thesavages. Scarcely a handful of English and Indian survivors staggered intoWoodcocks to announce the disaster.”----------------------

Whitney also states that because of some dispute, the men weresaved the agony and the misery of being tortured and were quickly given anhonorable death. There’s no way I see this happening. The men and womenwho made up Camp Swamp were on the run. They were either from thewest of from south in Kingstown. Many of these Natives had lived at theGreat Swamp and ran from being murdered by the Massachusetts andConnecticut milita. The last thing the enemy deserved was a quick death.According to some Indian cultures, the prisoners of war were allowed toregain their honor by having to undergo the ordeal of a painful andsomewhat horrible death. Being of a proud race, I am sure the men weregiven a “miserable” ending and were slain in the proper sense.

A MONUMENT TO VETERANS?

Of Historical Note (Cumberland Attractions)


NINE MEN’S MISERY

Monument is on the grounds of the Monastery, Diamond Hill Road. FirstAmerican monument to veterans commemorates “Pierce’s Fight,” when onMarch 26, 1676, a party of nine colonial militiamen under the command ofCaptain Michael Pierce were killed by Native Americans.-----------------

Since its dedication in 1928 as a Rhode Island historicalmonument, the town of Cumberland has added a number of other veteran(war) memorials on the Monastery (library) grounds. Monuments that havebeen dedicated to veterans of past American wars including World War 1,World War 2, the Korean, Vietnam, etc.

I don’t know if the question is: Is this right? I strongly feel thatthe right question is: Is this good? I suppose I am not one to answer thisquestion for others. It may depend on the one who pays respect to the site.If I were a veteran and had fought in a war, I may see a different side tothe morale the story tells. In my eyes, the nine men who died were notsoldiers. Far from it, they were mere farmers who took up arms by choice tokill. They were not Americans and not fighting Native Americans. Much canbe debated on this topic. “Live by the sword, die by the sword” is one ofmany sayings that can shed light on a story like this one.

I do not know when it began, but for the majority of the pastcentury, the site has been treated as a monument (if not the oldest / first)to veterans. Every year, you can spot a local veteran from the town ofCumberland place a plastic base by the cairn’s plaque with a miniatureAmerican flag. Veterans Day, Memorial Day, VJ Day, 4 . of July, and onth

every March 26 , you can find a fresh American flag being placed under theth

foot of the cairn. While I will continue to visit the site for reasons of myown, I see more important and much more monumental commemorativethan a place to respect a soldier of an unfamiliar and unknowing war.

THE NUMBER NINE (9)

There are a variety of numbers that hold secret significance.Ancient Greeks pagans held the number nine sacred because to them ninesymbolized the 9 Muses, daughters of Zeus, who were believed to presideover mankind’s activities on Earth. Nine was also a significant number tothe Etruscans. This ancient civilization worshiped nine Gods. The Romansworshiped the goddess Nundina by holding a purification ceremony for maleinfants on their ninth day of life. In addition, every ninth year the Romansheld a feast in memory of the dead.

Satanists take great delight in the number nine for manyreasons. The number “9” upside down becomes a “6” which makes up the


number for the “beast.” Also, Satanists take pleasure in the commemoratingthe death of Christ, which is associated with the number “9.” MARK 15: 34-37, reveals that Christ spoke his last words on the Cross of Calvary at theninth hour and “gave up the ghost (died).”

The number “9” holds great significance among many Masonicorders and secret societies. Nine elected Knights, nine roses, nine lights,nine knocks are used are all superstitions as a cat has nine lives. In fact,the number “9” is the number of “the earth under evil influences” accordingto many ancient law.

Nine is said to be a symbol of completeness. It representspersonal fulfillment. It correlates to the planet Uranus, the color of violet,the sign of Aquarius the water bearer, the eleventh house, and the letter“I.”

The Chinese also hold the number “9” with great understanding.The ancient Chinese considered the odd number “9” to belong to the “yang”category which represents strength and masculinity. The number nine isalso seen daily in Chinese culture. The ninth heaven, the ninth spring, thenumber of golden knobs and gates you may pass through at the forbiddencity equals nine. The number “9” is said to hold great change in order andappearance.

It takes nine months for a child to be born. There are nineobserved planets in the Earth’s solar system. In the Catholic practice ofNovenas, prayer services last 9 days nights. In Roman Catholic Europe, thechurch bells ring 3 + 3 + 3 (morning, noon, evening) and then ring 9 timesto celebrate the virgin birth of the Savior. According to the research ofJoseph Campbell, the number 9 is traditionally associated with the GoddessMother Of The World. Even in baseball, each team is made up of 9 playersand play a schedule game of 9 innings.

All in all, the interest in the number 9 has fascinated not onlycultures but civilizations throughout history. For this small story in time, thenumber nine is once again held with great significance and interestingmatter.


IN THE END

To many recent historians and scholars on the event, NineMen’s Misery has become very important in our history because itsymbolizes and sums up the end point of the entire King Philip War. Youhave two civilizations that did not find a common ground to live as one.Hundreds and thousands of deaths would follow because of this simpledisagreement and the end result is misery. To many generations of bothcultures (Red & White) strongly believe that Philip’s War was pure genocide.A war of Independence to some, a simple massacre to many others. Anative in the time of this war had very few choices to choose from. If youdid not fight for Philip or your single tribe against the English, you mostlikely fought on the side of the English against your own race of people.Many did not want to fight. It was natives that either traveled west to liveout the outskirts of their own civilization among other tribes. Leaving theirhome, many of these “Indians” left their homes and moved away from thewar. Others were forced to leave their homes and were placed in the firstAmerican concentration camps that stood on Block Island in Rhode Islandand Deer Island outside of Boston. There, they waited and died to avoiddying in the war. While there were choices, most of them ended in theirdeaths or their murders.

For these nine men, their existence as a band of unfortunatebeings stands as the outcome of the historical moment in time. For this,many have begun to tell a different side to the story that differs from theones told for hundreds of years in the history books. For example, the bookyou just read sheds light on many of the unanswered questions andunknown segments of the story that the history books left out. Includingthe feel for the scene, the look of the landscape, the thoughts and worrieson the minds of the players. All in all, my true intentions for this book, wasto add more interest to the overall story. It has been (for the past 326 somewhat years) a story that has not been told in a way that the listener shouldhear. If anything, I hope the book gives the event / site / and its story areprise and a rebirth for future generations of sight seers and history buffs.Like Dr. Whitney many years ago, I too had a craving to do the researchand to leave something behind for others to follow.---------------- PROVIDENCE JOURNAL PART 6January 20 , 1886.th

The stones above them have been here for one hundred and fifty years inthe knowledge of the farmers, and then they looked, it is said, just as now.Whoever invented the name of the place in unknown; only this much, thatit has, like the monument, clung to the place for more than a century and a


half, being certain. The generations of Cumberland farmers havesuccessively transmitted to their children the fame and awe and legends ofthe incident. They look upon the wild scene of the incident as a veritableabode of the weird and ghostly shapes of a bewildering past. You probablycould not hire a Cumberland farmer’s boy to go along the drift way at night.--------------------- As the guide directed to the drift way, which ran up to the Mendon road, hetold how when he was at school, the boys used to come to the place, andstand with distended eyelids and mouths, while their imaginations conjuredup the scenes of the death of the nine men. It would today require only thepresence of the forest to recreate for the visitor all an imaginative small boycan feel of “Indians.”----------------

It is once again silent. The pile of freed, elder, fieldstones areforced closed, kept quiet and alone. I know very little about it. Like most, itis a story none-the-less. What do you suppose happened? Misery? Nothingbut a tale of misery and grief that all you could see was the agony ofanguish, gloom, and heart-filled hardship. You can only find it in a storythat happened, or could have happened, hundreds of years ago. In the end,there is only misery. I have felt obligated to the stories’ legend. What youhave read is what has been told. Like Father Benedict, who was given thetalent and permission from God’s will to play his part, I too, had mine.

What is it all about, what have we to learn and to have takenwith us from knowing this event? In my eyes, the most important lesson ormessage of this story is that it represented the entire outcome of the war. Ahorrific end to some, simple matters of revenge for others. If you are tovisit the site, look around. Look at the layout that surrounds and looms overthe cairn. Look at the cairn, it tells a story in itself. Then, look at theplaque, it reads words that only words can describe. Like much of what issaid in the history books, I cannot find who came up and finally wrote thesesimple words. It tells it all to the ongoing visitor to the site.

NINE MEN’S MISERY

ON THIS SPOT WHERE THEY WERE SLAIN BY

THE INDIANS WERE BURIED THE NINE SOLDIERS

CAPTURED IN PIERCE’S FIGHT MARCH 26, 1676

It tells the wonderer just enough to grab their dreams. A verysimple and interesting notion, the word “monument” is nowhere to be


found. This is not a glorious event in our history. This is a place of misery. Astory, an event, a site of misery, which becomes the end point of a bloodyconfrontation, the nine men who lay under these rocks are held prisonersfor eternity as symbols of utter misery. They had left their homes, theirfamilies, and their worlds for hardship and devastating horror.

In my world, I closed my eyes on the night of March 25th

2001 with the means of awaking to the day ahead. It was to be the 325th

anniversary of the event known as Nine Men’s Misery. I would rise from mybed in my long lived home in Attleboro early with the sun and spend theentire day at the cairn. Who would I meet there? What would I spend mostof my time doing? It was to be a day of respect. I was in the middle ofcompleting my documentary and preparing to begin work on this book. Theentire day was to be spent out of honor and true respect. Prepared to fix upthe site, say a prayer, or even just to sit and watch the amazing feel andlook the cairn has to it, I was looking more than forward to arriving to thesite that day.

I instead awoke to the sounds of agony. Followed by a soft voicethat called out my name for help. I rose from my bed and rushed down thehallway that connected my bedroom from my parents. Without seeing itbefore my eyes, I already knew what was happening. The cancer took agood three years to take his life, but of all days, whether it was God, Death,or just destiny, my father was taken away from my family and me on thevery same day the nine men in this story lost their lives. Over a year haspast and I still cannot believe that day came and went in my life.

Misery…How do I end this (book)? I am and always will be connected to

this event whether I choose to or not. Things, no matter how simple, ordevastating, happen in this “crazy” world for a reason. It is a fact that Imust carry with me for the rest of my long-lived days. But still, how do Iend this? All stories have an ending. Then again, do they really end afterthe story is completed? Maybe. All I know is many will live their lives notknowing half the stories that are out there. Does it really matter? How doesthis story add up to the millions of others that must be told? Maybe itdoesn’t, but, for me, it has. I hope you find something out there thatconnects to your life as much as this simple one has connected mine. If notfor your benefit, I wish the gratitude that the story itself deserves for itsmoment in time.

Love you Pop….-------------------

Having this be my first and last novel that I will write, thisseems the best time as any to include a poem I wrote 8 years ago at theage of 16. Having nothing to do with the topic at hand, it was one of thefirst original pieces that I wrote and started my writing career, which is still


up in the air! Enjoy.

CHECKERS ON ACID (POEM)

It’s a game of strategy and skill- Your main goal is to conquer and kill.The main pieces are ready to enter the scene- Your most important player is often the Queen.You move forward as a planned attack-Leaving some behind to protect your back.You move the front line to accomplish the goal-The bishops, the knights, you’re now on a roll.Too quick, too cocky, your armies fall-Your Opponent’s team looks like a wall.You move out to reach your dream-Now a nightmare, you just lost your Queen.The King is in trouble he looks like the bait-Too late!You’re in checkmate….---------------------

BIBLIOGRAPHY

-The Town of Cumberland, Rhode Island) Re-Survey June 1970

-Cumberland Breeze Newspaper /HISTORY OF DIAMOND HILL ROAD

-Pawtucket Times / CORNERS & CHARCTERS OF RHODE ISLAND November 23, 1925

- PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / James O. Whitney, Wednesday, January 20,1886

-KING PHILIP WAR / Eric Shultz / Page 276

- HISTORY OF REHOBOTH OF PLYMOUTH COLONIES VOL.2 / Page 327, 329

- ORAL HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT /Dr. Ella Sekatow / December 27,2000

-Sachems of the Narragansett / Howard M. Chapin / 1931 /Page74, 82

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Genelogical Society / December 8, 1911 / Page 12

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-Captain Michael Pierce – 1 line of decent / Page 2

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-HISTORY OF RHODE ISLAND / The Old Stone Bank Edition /Captain MichaelPierce / 1929 pages 24-25

-Report of Committee on marking historical sits in Rhode Island /1913,page 89

- State of Rhode Island and / Providence Plantations at the / End of theCentury: A History / Edward Field A.B. / 1902

- Soldiers in King Philip War / (Wrentham Library) / Bodge page 349-350

- Addresses and Poem / In Commemoration of / The CAPTAIN MICHAELPIERCE FIGHT / March 26, 1676 / Memorial Service October 15 , 1904th

/Dedication of Monument September 21, 1907 / Thomas W. Bicknell Editor1908

- HISTORY OF SCITUATE / Samuel Deane / Page 122-123

- A PAPER / Read Before The Rhode Island Historical Society / TuesdayOctober 1, 1889 / By. James O. Whitney, M.D. of Pawtucket, R.I.

- A COPY OF A LETTER OF ROGER WILLIAMS / The Letter / April the 1 –76 st

- Poem of Deacon Walker / Captain Michael Pierce – 1 line of decent /Martha Stuart Helligo / Richard Bowen / Early Rehoboth Volume III

- History of Attleborough / John Daggett / Page 115

- History of Rehoboth / Page 198 / Page 44, Leonard Bliss

- File from the John Brown House (2001) / The Rhode Island HistoricalSociety Museum of Rhode Island History at Aldrich House / 110 Benevolent Street,Providence, Rhode Island 02906


- Nine Men’s Misery Dedication / THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / November13 . 1928th

- CUMBERLAND / LINCOLN TIMES / April 2 . 1992 / Page 6 / By Henry Metznd

- NINE MEN’S MISERY (Picture of Brochure) / library

- SENIOR CENTER PLAN EVOKED MEMORIES / Catherine Diehl / May 13th

1991Cumberland Times

-A series of letters from Father Laurence Bourget to Frank D’Agostino(2001-2002)

- In Memoriam, the town of Rehoboth’s 325 Anniversaryth

- BIRTHS / MARRIAGES / DEATHS,1648-1739, Town of Rehoboth

- THIRD GENERATION / www.bucklinsociety.net/Web_WB_1606/d78.htm

- Volume II Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony / 1645-1692 / Dr. John G. Erhardt Page 348-349

- RIGS NEWSLETTER / Lester Hilton / early 1990’s

- ALONG THE BLACKSTONE / Pages 44-45

- Central Falls High School Yearbook / Class of 1974

- Of Historical Note (Cumberland Attractions) / Valley Breeze Newspaper /1995

- Saint Joseph’s Abbey / A Brief History / Our Lady of the Valley (1900-1950) / Pages 26-39

- King Philip’s War, George W. Ellis / John E. Morris, Page 191

- Our Heritage East Providence / Rumford, Page 29

-History of Rehoboth, page 78

- Shadow lands Haunted Places / Index, Cumberland Monastery(Cumberland)


- The History of Rhode Island, Old Stone Bank Edition / Captain MichaelPierce

page 25

- The History of PHILIP’S WAR, Commonly called THE GREAT INDIAN WAR,OF 1675 AND 1676, By. Thomas Church Esq. 1829 pages 72-73

-Diary of King Philip’s War 1676-1676, Benjamin Church / page107

-A Narrative of the INDIAN WARS in New England / William Hubbard 1775

pages 121-125

- The Indian History of Attleboro / Dr. Maurice Robbins, Page 32

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